Eva Bravo
by Zentrodie
Summary: When he was dropped into the Sea of Dirac, Shinji went someplace nobody could have predicted and when he came back he wasn't alone
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer

So while I'm trying to think of what I want to write next I'm going to pop this little ditty out. It's going to be a short one, four maybe five chapters, but it's an idea I've had for ages. Originally it was going to be part of "What we Make of it" but that story had so many characters already I pulled it.

X-X

Eva-Bravo

Chapter 1 – Teleportation is bravo!

Life, if it could be called that, for the young Shinji Ikari was in reality quite cruel. Clad in a very tight fitting latex and rubber suit, he walked down a very drab metallic corridor along side two very attractive girls his age. Most boys his age would have found the skin tight body suits they wore to be very a reason to peek, Shinji knew better. Looking at Rei would have been safe, though she might have questioned why he was doing it before she stopped caring. Asuka, well Asuka would have beaten him to death with her bare hands or verbally assaulted his already on-life support ego. Nether were very good options, so Shinji kept his head pointed straight ahead.

"Baka I'm talking to you, are you even listening!" Asuka roared as she slapped the back of Shinji's head. Grabbing the boy's ear, she pulled it just hard enough to make the lad stop his forward progression. "I asked you if you got the food I asked you for, Hikari's coming over tonight and I want her have goulash," she demanded without caring about that foolish concept of humility.

Shit, he had forgotten, stupid Touji and Kensuke for making him go to the arcade instead. "I-I-I'll get it after tests today, right away alright?" he pleaded hoping for freedom for his earlobe. He hated it, but even when Asuka was being cruel to him, he couldn't be upset at her. Something about that girl just tweaked the boy exactly the right way to keep him interested. Not that he ever expected it to be reciprocated, he was depressed not insane. When Asuka twisted his ear a little harder, "I'll even pay for it!"

"Good boy, and I expect you to cook it too," Asuka smugly announced after her lobe liberation party. Sauntering ahead of the other two pilots, Asuka hit the button to open the door to the hanger bay. "Don't know why they're having us train in the actual Eva's today and not the simulations," she rolled her eyes and put her hand to her side as she came to a stop.

Eyes transfixed on that lovely rump, all shiny and red as it captured the dull light, Shinji sighed heavily. He knew he had to get over Asuka, it was just going to hurt more and more, but when his options were nill it was easy to dream. Rei had been the first dream, but that girl showed so little care about his life that is was easier to think she hated him that allude to some type of romance. He'd have the occasional fantasy about both girls, never at the same time mind you, but his feet were firmly planted in reality-vil.

"So glad of you three to finally make it here," Misato called out from behind a computer. Handing whatever file she was reading to the ever stern looking Ritsuko, Misato got out of her seat and strolled over. "Why are you grabbing your ear, Shinji-kun? And why is it so red?" she inspected the aforementioned swelling.

Ah Misato, never a day went by that Shinji didn't question the gods about what Misato meant to him. Friend, mother, or secret punishment? Misato could equally make his heart melt in parental bliss as she could make his pants tight just with her casual wear. "I stumbled putting my suit on and hit my head against the lockers," he lied. He wasn't a good liar, but Asuka's secret abuse was providing a great venue for increasing in the trade. Staring into Misato's brown eyes, he could feel her evaluating his statement, her beautiful face so close to his…Stupid skin tight plastic really made for a painful healthy reaction.

Closing her eyes, Asuka just waved her hand, "Leave it to Shinji to get hurt putting his suit on. Now lets get this started already, because I have places I want to go today." Pushing past the doting mother-hen and chick, Asuka forced Misato to break away from Shinji, an unexpected scowl on her face. "Lets go First, no slacking today," Asuka turned back to see Ayanami frowning.

"Well somebody is in a very impatient mood, no different than any other day though huh?" Misato joked and ruffled Shinji's hair. "Lets not keep the princess waiting or we'll never hear the end of it tonight," she shrugged and headed back to the waiting Akagi and the tasks that only Misato could ignore and pass off to her underlings.

Stepping to his side, Rei's focus was squarely on the red and black weapon of mass humiliation. "You lied to protect Soryu. Why?" Ayanami was never one to mince words or beat around the bush.

Why? What a silly question to ask him, wasn't it obvious why he put up with Asuka's ranting and complaining? It was the same reason why he put up with Ayanami's quietness and comparability to a mannequin. He liked them, but was just too timid to ever act on it. But to say that would break his tenet on risking pain so when his mouth did open, "If I told the truth, Misato would get mad at her, and she'd just take it out on me anyway."

With one nod of her head, Ayanami said nothing else but tilted her head as if her mental computer was calculating something. Whatever the supercomputer that resided behind those red eyes figured, the speech algorithm was not triggered so she didn't let anybody know. Walking past the boy, she climbed up to her plug and dropped into the waiting orange goop.

Stupid attractive girls, stupid attractive superiors, damn it why couldn't he be bigger or stronger or something to make them take interest in him? But he was small, he was meek, and he gave up on the idea of human companionship ages ago. Climbing up the ladder to his own entry plug, Shinji stopped as he reached the lip. Staring into the plug, he saw something, was that…was that a pink haired girl? Why would she be in his plug, a new joke from Misato maybe? "Misato-san what did you…why is there a…" he called out to the waiting woman.

"Oh yeah, we wanted to try out a new additive to the LCL so we have half of the plug filled already," Ritsuko called out in her best bored tone. Moving from monitor to monitor, briskly pushing past whoever was stationed their, the woman went through her task as she did everything in her life. Blunt, to the point, and with an enthusiasm that Rei would have found familiar. "If you'd stop admiring it and get in, we can finish this before Asuka threatens to kill us all, alright Shinji-kun?" she actually smiled at him.

Shot through the heart! And she's to blame! Damn he was easy for women to manipulate, and he knew it. Just a simple smile got him moving, he loved making people happy, to make them smile. Hell Rei's smile at him months ago was still one of his most treasured memories. "A-Alright Akagi-san," so what if a woman was in the plug with him, he wouldn't complain. Climbing back over the lip of the plug, he didn't see the girl anymore, just an illusion maybe? Great on top of everything else he was going crazy, goodie!

As the plug filled more with LCL, he couldn't help but think about that stupid image, or his impending lunacy, he was unsure of which. "She was cute though," he said to himself, well he thought it was himself. Finding both Asuka and Rei's faces alive on his internal read-outs, he winced at his lack of silence. "D-did you need something?" he could only expect the worst.

"Pervert, you better not have been talking about me," Asuka's smidgen of a blush went unnoticed. "And just remember I want good meat for the stew tonight…" she instantly deactivated the communication after her demand was made.

Finding Rei still gazing at him, those probing an unrelenting eyes were equal parts beautiful and horrifying. "Ayanami, did you need something?" she never did but it was nice to ask. If Rei ever did ask him for anything, Shinji's inner wuss knew he'd jump to it faster than anything Asuka ever asked. When Rei's image blinked out of existence, maybe it never existed either, Shinji laughed a little. "Why am I not surprised?" not like he expected anything from Rei or life at all for that matter.

X-X

The ball left his hands, bounced off the backboard and daintily fell through the hoop. "Alright, Shin-man, that's nine to four, pick up the pace!" Touji teased as he ran to reclaim the ball. "Don't tell me you're quitting on me, Ken never plays me anymore and you're at least capable of making a shot," he passed the orange ball to his opponent. Nothing beat getting rid of the school blues like a little male bonding. Well maybe a girlfriend would be better, but his ability to talk to girls was worse than Shinji's.

Panting and sweating, Shinji dribbled the ball a few half hearted times as he went to the proper spot. "I don't know why you don't just join the basketball club, Touji. They could actually compete against you. But instead you take it out on Kensuke and me," Shinji flinched his head at Kensuke who was busy on his laptop. Making a head fake, the tired boy tried to rush the basket.

Pretending to be faked by Shinji's predictable move, Touji ran around the boy, stole the ball and shot. "Oh that's ten! I win!" he cheered his victory over a clearly weaker opponent. "And I play you guys here, so all the girls can see my moves. You two may be eunuchs, but that doesn't mean I don't want a girl," his motives clearly set, Touji reclaimed the object he was wrongly using for female attention. Finding no cheering ladies, however, he slammed the ball between his hands. "Well I guess we can go get something to eat, you look like you could use a bite to eat and an ear to listen," Shinji had that look about him that screamed 'talk to me'.

Shutting his laptop, Kensuke rubbed his eye under his glasses. "I'd kill for a bowl of ramen, and as long as you don't go on about how you want Shinji to take Misato's panty's for you, I'd be game for some conversation," the geek sneered triumphantly. Sliding the well used computer into his satchel, he got to his feet with audible pops and cracks. "Guess we do owe you for keeping the devil off us today, whatever you did yesterday must have been good, so I'm even willing to pay for you, Shinji," Kensuke offered as they passed through the gate to the basketball courts.

Asuka, oh how Touji loathed that girl! Always around Hikari and filling the stern but lovable girl with all her anti-boy propaganda, Asuka was the enemy of all men. "Yeah, we owe you for that, so what DID you do to defang the bitch today?" not that Touji expected it to last. Damn German was bi-polar when it came to Shinji, and Touji wondered if anybody else saw it. Girl treated him with kid gloves, but was just so demanding of him. "You snog her rotten or something?" he joked and shook Shinji by the shoulders.

His head waggling to and fro, Shinji's teeth clattered together in response to Touji's odd sense of affection. "I j-just made goulash and some cupcakes for Hikari and her last night is all, I must have made it closer to her tastes this time," he managed to get out and fell forward as Touji's abuse guised as friendship ended. Rubbing at a crick in his neck, likely caused by said abuse, "Can I tell you guys about something that happened yesterday and have you not laugh or call me crazy?"

"Hard to do that without hearing you first," Kensuke sagely replied. Readjusting his satchel on his shoulder, the lad oh so happened to stride behind Touji as a trio of girls, paying them no mind, walked past them and along their merry way. A languished sigh later, "But we can try to promise, knowing you it shouldn't be to hard to keep to it though."

Shaking his head, Touji couldn't figure Kensuke out at times. The boy was his friend for ages, but the whole hiding from girls thing, the complete lack of ambition for anything not military related kept them at a distance mentally. Shinji though, Shinji was a damn fine friend. "Like he said, we can't promise you much until we hear. I mean if you go and say something like you found Ayanami and the devil diking out or something we'll call bullshit," though it was nice mental fodder…maybe Asuka and Hikari as Ayanami had as much sex appeal as a latex glove.

Stutter stepping as Touji's comment struck home, Shinji just scratched at the side of his nose. "Nothing like that really," but the hesitation in Shinji's voice hinted he liked the idea to a degree. "Just yesterday when I was about to get into my Eva I saw something odd," the words didn't come out evenly, halting as if he were debating going on. Opening the door to the ramen joint, he got in line behind the other patrons. "I saw a girl in the LCL, she wasn't doing anything really, but it looked as if she were looking back at me," he winced as he finished his little confession.

"Was she cute?" Touji's mind was as always mostly focused on surface things. Attractiveness beat out personality, but it wasn't sexist if you didn't act on it, right? "I mean if I saw a girl looking at me I'd want her to be cute, would suck if your mental break down gave you some dog or something," Touji's growing smile threatened to break out into full grown chuckles, but he maintained.

Whether he heard the stifled chuckles of his friends or not, Shinji didn't react to him, he was too lost for that. Gazing at the offering board of unhealthy yet delicious food options, the lad just murmured a little. "She was cute, very cute with long pink hair and eyes, she had three dots on her forehead too," he pounded his right hand to his left palm in sudden recollection. "At first I thought it was a joke Misato was pulling, but when I looked back she was gone," confusion and a loneliness pervaded the boy.

Stepping past the boy who hadn't ordered yet, Kensuke quickly made his selection. Once money traded hands, he did buy Shinji the same order of garlic-beef ramen, "Could it have just been a trick of the light or something? We were only in that tube once, and things all looked odd inside it," Kensuke stepped to the side to give Touji access to the counter.

"I think you just need to get a girl man, your mind is telling you this and you just can't accept it. Making you see phantom cuties when a bevy of girls in our class would date you, if for the social status boost," Touji confessed. He had heard more than one girl ask about Shinji, but they were all fame hounds, but if it helped Shinji so be it. If the girl hurt the boy though, Touji would get Hikari to punish the bitch harshly. "I seriously doubt you have to worry about this phantom chick attack you though, so why worry about it?" he still saw some strangeness on Shinji's face, not a good thing.

Taking the steaming bowl of salty goodness, Shinji headed to a table to dine. "I don't know, I forgot about the whole mess till now once Misato said I finally beat Asuka's score," he snapped his chopsticks evenly and spun the noodles about. "That little fact was why I made the dessert for Asuka," he slurped up his noodles with a satisfied grunt.

"Well whatever helps you make it through the da~~y," Touji drawled out as he heard the sirens start whining. "Oh shit, is that the angel attack alarms?" he got to his feet as other patrons moved to the windows with confused and frightened expressions. "OH shit dude look at that! A fucking flying zebra ball?" he pointed at the affront to normal senses. Turning back to his friends, he found Shinji already gone, shit…it was hard to accept his buddy was on the front line of death. "He didn't even get to eat his damn food," Touji took the bowls and headed towards the shelters, no reason to let the food go to waste.

X-X

Sitting in her Eva, Asuka felt a complicated set of emotions that all swelled inside her. Anger was the most prevalent, anger at herself for screwing up the battle, anger at the commanders for their plan, and anger at Shinji for taking the initiative for once. The other emotions were harder for her to accept let alone understand. Sadness wasn't something she ever put in the same statement with Shinji other than 'Shinji is sad'. But he was likely dead now, or once the bombs went off he would be. Some lot of good this rescue plan was.

"Serves that idiot right for rushing off like some stupid hero. All because some glitch in the test said he was higher than me," Asuka ranted more to keep up appearances. It was just simpler to talk him down, safer to keep him at an arms length. Though his actions to her were so contrast, hell not a day before he handmade her favorite dessert just on a whim! "I mean Misato told him not to go off balls crazy, and what did it get him? Eaten by a damn shadow!" she continued her obligatory ranting hoping somebody was listening.

Oh somebody was listening, and all those somebody's wanted her to shut her damn mouth. Linking visually to the cockpit of Unit-02, Ayanami Rei's dispassionate face was even more lacking in emotion. "Had you been in his place, you would have done the same," was that a hint of anger in the ice queen's voice, maybe possibly but that would mean she actually felt something.

Gripping the stirrups tighter, Asuka ground her teeth in a wondrous display of hypocrisy. "Yeah I would have, but I would have gotten away from the attack. He had ample time to get away and he just shot at it. Leave it to a man to think you can just shoot your problems away," her righteous fury was dampened however. Had the scenario been reversed, Asuka honestly didn't know what she would have done. Hell the fact Shinji TRIED something was a point in his favor, she almost locked up when it moved to her. "He better live through this so I can beat some sense into him," he damn better live, that cold feeling insider her was growing.

"Asuka, you know we can all hear you right, so maybe you could stop the bitching for a few moments in your life?" Misato's haggard voice boomed through the cockpits. Her face was marred with dark circles under her eyes and a defeated and miserable complexion. "Yes he disobeyed my orders, and I will punish him when he gets back, and he WILL come back. He's lived through to much for this to stop him. Right now I bet he's thinking of something to try," despite the bravado, Misato's tone left no hope in her words.

Stop, stop talking now…you'll only make things worse for yourself! Oh how Asuka's tiny smidgen of feelings tried to exert some control, yet failed in a train wreck of mental proportions. "What he's doing right now? I bet that pervert is jacking off for one last act of disgust before he joins all the others who took the dirt nap!" even she felt dirty after saying that. Hell even if he was doing exactly what she said, he was facing death and it would hardly been the worst thing he could do.

"Fear of dying triggers the desire to mate in nearly all mammals," Rei added her two cents to the collective pot nearing a dollar. "If Ikari-kun's brush with death forces him to enact self pleasure, it is only due to the lack of a female body for which he could copulate. Though such an act would deplete his oxygen faster," No hint of embarrassment, but every indication that she believed every word she said, Ayanami Rei was the most honest person in the conversation.

That took Asuka back for a moment, the comment, who said it, and the connotation. "You're defending him? When the hell did you start paying attention to anything that wasn't the commander?" Asuka didn't like that one bit. Rei was just walking joke fodder, nothing more. But this sudden defense of Shinji, that wasn't expected. "You know what, I don't care, I just want this operation to start and finish. I don't…I don't want to be here," she wanted to be far away. She wanted to be back at the apartment, Shinji cooking supper, and Misato drunk or sleeping on the couch, normal and simple.

Her head shook slowly, disbelief and shame intermixed with a low burning disgust, but Misato kept her inner thoughts to herself. "You just got your wish, Asuka. The sub-commander Fuyutski agreed to pushing the time table up in the case Shinji is still alive," without another word Misato closed the link between them.

Seeing Ayanami still gazing at her, whatever emotions the girl had she kept them hidden, and that suited Asuka's tastes perfectly. "Good, lets get this over so we don't have to live with the speculation," she willed her Eva to move into position to contain the damage the approaching plains were going to unleash. Don't be dead, that thought just ran around in circles in Asuka's mind. Why? She didn't even know, but all she wanted was him not to be dead.

As the blue and red units of odd esthetic sense moved to keep the city from being leveled, their enemy started to shift and change. Red lines started forming, Asuka noticed but thought it just another optical trick. Then the lines widened, started dripping, and spread out larger and more bloody. "What the hell is happening?" she asked over the open com but nobody responded, they were all transfixed on the changes.

Then the arms burst out of the center of mass, Unit-01's arms. Tearing, mashing, and ripping its way out of the artificial womb, Unit-01 was reborn in Tokyo-03 in a sea of blood. Crashing to the ground, the beast roared in victory as its foe collapsed and faded back to whatever dimensional plane a twenty dimensional creature goes.

Over the now chatter filled communication system, Asuka heard Misato's frantic yet overly happy voice calling out Shinji's name. "She'd never sound that happy if it were me, favoritism," but she felt relief too. It was compounded when Shinji finally stopped acting stoic and responded back.

"M-Misato-san? Did…how is it possible? The angel stayed dormant for two months?" Shinji's puzzled and confused voice cracked across the lines. Unit-01 got to its feet with the help of Unit-00 which was plugging its cord into 01's back. "Thanks, Ayanami, it's been so long, thought I'd never see you again," a strangeness about his voice, something it had now that it lacked two days ago.

"Two months? Shinji it was just yesterday, are you feeling alright?" Misato's face was a Christmas tree of joy. "Oh and turn on your monitor, I want to see you, I thought…we all thought you…" she slipped and let her own inner fears be voiced.

"Oh this tastes so good! What is it?" a strange voice interrupted the thoughts of everybody paying attention.

"Get off him, Miharu, Danna* has to pilot this thing, and I do NOT like being covered in whatever this stuff is," a second voice, more mature but similar in tone, added the cherry on the WFT sundae. "I'm glad I'm not wearing anything as I doubt it would come out of the clothing," scratch that…that was the crowning of unexpected comments from Shinji's plug.

Keeping the visuals off, Shinji's voice spoke up louder and more confident, "Probably not the best idea right now Misato. I'll tell you all about it once we get out of here, and if you could have some extra clothing ready it might make things easier for everybody. One of Asuka's and one of yours to be specific, Shinji out," Unit-01 headed purposefully to the nearest elevator and headed back to the Geo-front.

"What the hell just happened?" Asuka turned to the only visual feed she had left. Ayanami's face was the most expressive Asuka ever seen, and it was a tiny open mouth and quickly blinking eyes, yeah massive shock. "Maybe he has some kind of brain damage from lack of oxygen making him talk to himself?" she said to herself. Willing Unit-02 to follow, she wasn't rushing, no not all…she wasn't happy, she wasn't confused, and she was definitely not rushing.

X-X

Unlike certain German's who will go nameless, Misato had no qualms about rushing like a madwoman to the hanger bay. Her boy was alive, he was talking odd, he requested cloths, and he mastered the art of talking like two women. So Shinji made good use of his time alone in the belly of the beast, Misato was ok with that. With just a spare plug suit in hand, she knocked poor Maya to the ground as she made her insane lunge across the finish line.

"Ritsuko I don't care if Unit-02 and 00 are having a damn brawl in the streets, you take care of it. I'm going to see to Shinji and his little delusions first, then I'll worry about what Rei and Asuka were doing up there," Misato huffed into her phone. The woman didn't care what Ritsuko was talking about, it didn't matter right now. Something about Unit-00 throwing Unit-02 away from the elevator to get the first ride down, or some such rubbish. Coming to a stop at the exposed neck of Unit-1, Misato waited for the plug to open, "Come on out Shinji, I have what you asked for and I won't ask why you need a spare."

With a whir of gears opening and the splash of LCL draining from the entry plug, a very nude Ikari Shinji climbed out. "It's so strange to be back, I never thought…I was certain it was a one way ticket," he smiled warmly at Misato. "I've a pair of somebody's…stowaways actually that I want you to meet," Shinji turned back to the plug and reached in.

Ok, Shinji's reality button got flipped to off, it was nothing Misato couldn't fix. Seeing his fishing rod and tackle was a bit disconcerting too, but Misato was a grown woman and she'd seen such before. "Sh-Shinji are you sure you don't want a stretcher or something? Feeling alright? How's the head, both of them?" she tried teasing hoping he'd react normally. But when he pulled an equally nude long pink haired woman, forehead adorned with a trinity of dots, Misato dropped the plug suit to the ground. "WHO THE HELL IS THAT?" she eloquently asked.

When Shinji didn't answer immediately and in fact reached back into the entry plug, he pulled out another woman. The second had equally long hair, just deep blood red and a bust that put Misato's to shame. "Misato-san, meet Miharu and Maharu…my um…my…" Shinji's head wobbled back and forth as his hand went back down to covering his shame.

"So you are the illustrious Misato Katsuragi," the woman identified as Maharu. Briskly walked over to the still stunned woman, Maharu cupped her bust and leaned in closer to Misato. "Ah, not bad, but my babies are superior," she winked at the dazed woman. "Since you didn't listen to Danna and bring us a change of clothing, I guess I'll be showing everybody them," she held out her and in greeting. "Formerly Maharu Sena Kanaka now Ikari," she eventually reached over and grabbed Misato's hand to shake it.

Latching onto Shinji's side, the pink haired Miharu just bobbled at all the new things about her. "I'm Miharu Ikari, and uhm…do you have any food around here? Clothing would have been nice too it's really cold in here," the girl gave a small sneeze to emphasize.

Grabbing the dropped plug suit, Shinji hastily pulled it on and grimaced as he put the pressurize button. "Ouch, guess I grew a little since I last wore one of these. And yeah, due to some very strange situations over the last two months…I'd like you to meet my wives," Shinji put a hand on each woman's shoulder. "I'll tell you all about it, once they get some clothing, and Miharu gets something to eat. She can't focus on an empty stomach," Shinji gave the girl's nose a squeeze.

Her brain officially fried and turned into a lump of ash, Misato slapped herself hard hoping to reboot. No, didn't work, maybe she was dreaming? Yeah that had to be it, she passed out and was having the oddest dream over. It was impossible Shinji just showed up, naked, with two women that looked to have walked out of Aphrodite's personal workshop claiming to be his wives. Yup the world was dreamland stuff.

"Shinji," Misato finally slowly drawled out as the lad grabbed two of Ritsuko's cast off lab coats for his darling wives. "When I wake up, will I remember anything that happened here in this fictional place? As I don't think I want to," Misato gave her cheek another pinch hoping the shock would wake her up. Failing that she was going to throw herself into the gulf of LCL below. "Because if this is reality, Asuka is going to kill you, and I'm not sure I could stop her if I tried," Misato didn't know what to make of any of this.

Buttoning up the provided coat, Maharu gave her doting husband a kiss on the cheek. "Always coming to my aid, and if anybody tries to hurt our hubby you can bet my little sister will have issues with that," Maharu ruffled Miharu's hair.

Already opening the candy bar she found in the pocket of the lab coat, Miharu demonstrated the black hole that was her stomach. "It was really bad of you to try running away from us, lying about taking a bath just to come here. We talked about this!" Miharu pouted in a very uncharacteristic show of anger. But the flighty nature came back quickly as Unit-00 and 02 saddled up to the hanger bay. "Oh that one has so many eyes! And that one just has one!" her attention span wasn't known for lasting long.

"I'll explain everything that happened, Misato-san. But can we do it somewhere else?" Shinji asked as he started walking past the borderline hysterical woman. One arm linked with Miharu's, he waved at a few of the tech's that were also paralyzed with sudden world ending panic. "Going to be hard to get readjusted to this, isn't it?" he asked the older of his wives.

Scowling at some of the men that had the audacity to give her overly appraising eyes, Maharu just grabbed her hair and squeezed the LCL out of it. "Easier for you than for us. It was hard enough adjusting to living with a honest to god man, but we did manage that very well after some initial confusion," she linked up with his other arm and let the man lead them.

"I need a drink, a very strong drink, maybe with some pills," Misato couldn't believe what she was seeing. Shinji, her little boy, was married to two women? Women that came out of nowhere and were very open about how they cared for him. "I need a fleet of drinks," she wouldn't have looked the other way about pot either. One thing was for sure, a lot of explaining was due, and until she got it Misato knew one thing for certain. She was NOT letting Asuka anywhere near Shinji and his brood.

X-X

Author's notes

Yeah it's a silly premise, but you can see how it was going to fit into What We. I see this being only four or five chapters, it's just a dumb comedy story that I hope to use to fill the gap before I start another 'serious' endeavor. Still looking into what I want to write next. Asobi Ni Ikyo and Himari are up on the list of things to mess with but I don't know if I want to write a cross over or a stand alone story for them.

Hope you enjoyed this oddity, and yes I will explain a good deal of the WFT moments here in the next chapter, but that's half the fun.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	2. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer

Well the weather has gotten nicer, always like that. Work's been a lot more hectic as of late making time to write harder to get. Long stressful day at work is not a very conducing environment for writing, sorry about that but it is getting nicer. My cat has got the kitty crazies too, that really is distracting, sigh. Well hope you enjoy. Oh and if you didn't know, the other part of this little cross-over is "Girl's Bravo"

X-X

Eva Bravo

Chapter 2 – Explanations are Bravo

Totally now how Kaji expected his day to play out, but it was a very strange twist he wasn't sure if he liked. Two hours after Unit-01's dramatic yet welcome return, the spy was called by a very perturbed Misato into a mandatory meeting of the high brass. His first thoughts were dark, thinking Unit-01's return did not warrant a living Ikari Shinji. While pleased at being wrong about that, Kaji wasn't sure the reality of this meeting was any better. A woman was claiming to be Shinji's wife, a much older, insanely attractive, and nearly bursting at the seams of the uniform she was sitting in woman. Oh and said woman had a younger sister that also was claiming to be Shinji's wife.

Forming a semicircle around the woman, Gendo, Fuyutski, Ritsuko, Misato, and he had this Maharu woman under a powerful light. Woman did not appear intimidated at all, smirking at them as she crossed her legs…Kaji found it hard not to be aroused by that woman. "I'm sorry Maharu-kun, but we don't believe your rather interesting yet insane claim of being Shinji's wife," Kaji tugged at his collar. This wasn't good, not with Misato so close, alone with her Kaji would have been hitting on this woman relentlessly, but Misato…scary bad things.

"Agreed, and his claim of two months passing while we know it was just a single day. Maharu-kun, please tell us what you did to his mind so we can seek to fix it," Ritsuko gazed over a clipboard at the woman. Her leg was tapping to some rhyme in her mind, but Ritsuko's forehead let a single bead of sweat drop. "We'll release you after you confess what really happened to him. Drugs, mind control, hypnosis, or something more drastic?" her pen didn't move as her head slowly changed focus.

Putting both feet flat on the ground, Maharu wrapped her arms back behind the flimsy metal chair she was sitting on. "What friendly people you earthlings are. Danna really doesn't take after you at all. Everything he said is true, and you're just going to have to accept it. We married Danna to keep him safe at first, but over time came to love and care for him. Not hard really, Danna is a wonderful man. Very accommodating, and he just makes feel appreciated. Had we not married him however, you'd have never gotten him back," Maharu's eyes were locked on Misato.

"Elaborate, and please, spare no detail. I'd just love to hear what you've done to my Shinji," Misato seethed. "In case you're worried though, Shinji and your sister, if she really is your sister, have been taken back home while we question you," Misato gripped her biceps and her fingers drummed against the flesh. Closing her eyes, speaking through a clenched jaw, "Maybe start with where you really come from?"

Matching Misato's exact posture, possibly to mock her, Maharu's lips drew back in a thin grimace. "We come from a planet called Seiren. Due to years of gradual genetic changes our men are hardly capable of creating male offspring. This unfortunate fact complicates matters greatly for us. Our population is over ninety percent female. While that makes our world a lot cleaner, safer, and forgive my opinion, smells better than yours," Maharu held up her hands in defense.

Was he breathing heavier? Damn he hadn't been this attracted to a woman since he first saw Misato so many years ago. Down boy, down…not in front of the enemy. Perhaps after they got the truth out of this woman he could save her from Nerv's nefarious clutches and ask her out on a date. But for now, Kaji had to play his role as Nerv drone, "You expect us to believe you're from another planet, one where it's almost entirely comprised of women?"

Giving Kaji an appraising eye, Maharu snorted and laughed openly at the man. "You are so not my type little man, so put the hormones away. Danna is my husband," she mocked. Rocking in her seat, Maharu jiggled just to spite the man, "And believe me or not, it's the truth. Wars have broken out over men on my planet. Some of us live our entire lives without seeing an actual living male. So you can imagine my shock when I walked into my bathroom to find my sister nursing Danna back from unconsciousness."

Speaking for the first time, Fuyutski cleared his aged throat, "Kanaka-kun, elaborate on that part would you. You say you found Ikari-kun in your bathroom? Wouldn't Unit-01 have crushed your home? It is quite large you see." The man didn't sound condescending, but something about the Sub-Commander screamed 'mocking you so hard I'm creating a new style for it.'

Reaching into the pocket of her borrowed uniform, Maharu pulled out what looked like a cigarette that Shinji had given her before he had been shuffled away. Lighting the end, she exhaled a floral smelling pink smoke. "First time I saw that horrid thing was after Danna pulled me out of it. Forcing him to risk his life at such a young age, your organization makes me sick," she spat on the ground to show her dislike. "And yes she claims he just materialized in the bath. Had she not been there to pull him out, Danna likely would have drowned," she almost sounded frightened.

Catching Misato's movements from the corner of his eye, Kaji was borderline terrified of his old flame. He knew Misato's ins and outs, her personality, and her tells. What he saw in Misato at the moment was rage and anger so large it would have taken Unit-01 itself to stop her if she went off. Trying to douse some of that flame, "So what then, he woke up. Saw you two and pledged himself to you both as repayment for saving his life? The Shinji-kun I know isn't that bold, ma'am. So why not drop the ruse and just…what is that you're smoking anyway?" he couldn't get the fragrance out of his senses, it was wonderful.

Flicking some of the green ash on the ground, Maharu took another large drag and sent out a few smoke rings. "I told you Danna was accommodating. He made two of these from me from materialize from your mess hall. Like your cigarettes only they cure rather than cause internal health maladies, aren't additive, and stimulate higher brain functions. And no, the events that brought us to the wedding table weren't so…romantic. It was, like I already said, an act of necessity at the start," she dropped the last of her smoke and rubbed it out.

"So now the truth starts to come out, this whole marriage thing was, is, just a farce. You've done something to him to MAKE him believe this craziness. How you got him out of the angel we'll figure out later, so do continue," Misato's body vibrated with anger. Each word she said was accompanied with droplets of saliva or the stomping of a foot. The tiny interrogation room, its drab gray walls and dim lights accentuated every ugly line of her body.

If Maharu was intimidated, she didn't show it in the slightest. "As I said, men are a supreme rarity on Seiren. We tried keeping Danna's presence a secret for as long as we could. But my sister, my lovable yet gluttonous sister, just had to ask him to cook something that we didn't have the ingredients for. He went out, I'd say a week after he arrived, in disguise but was discovered. It took Miharu's little talent for making explosions to get them back to the house. Things got…messy from there," Maharu went silent for a few moments, her arms folded at her lap twitched.

Reaching in with her foot, Ritsuko kicked the butt of Maharu's smoke back to her and picked it up. Holding the smoldering remains between her thumb and forefinger she sniffed at it. "It would be impossible to sustain a population of a planet with so few men, Kanaka-kun. It's drivel or a perverted male fantasy. Shinji's a young man so he might have believed it, what makes you think we would?" she pocketed the remains of the cigarette before looking back at the woman.

"Thief," Maharu said non-pulsed at the woman's comment. "And you are wrong. We maintain our population, which is roughly three billion, mostly via artificial insemination. The men we have are required to donate bi-weekly to collection agencies. Men who we discover have a higher chance of siring a male double that," Maharu's attitude shifted drastically from vibrant to shamed. "Danna…Danna isn't from Seiren, he…he…was discovered to produce almost entirely male genes," she rubbed her stomach as she stuttered out the last.

Kaji's eyebrow raised at that. Something about the change in the woman almost made him want to believe her. Misato, as he noticed had fallen silent, eyes closed and a vein throbbed on her head. "If this little fairy tale of yours is true, if men are so rare and Shinji-kun is a man making factory, how come he's not strapped to a table somewhere being milked?" the idea sickened him. Shinji was a nice kid, Kaji liked him, but part of this woman's story made his skin crawl.

"That's the messy part I mentioned before," Maharu's head picked back up. "The collection agencies tried to force us to give him up. Rich women tried to buy him from us as sums that would make your tiny head spin. But a law we have states, a married man can not be taken by to the collection agencies. Marriage between man however requires more than one wife, and the women are required to take birth suppressants to prevent them from trying to sell off any male child they might have produced. We married Danna to keep him from…from being treated like a damn animal. But he still had to make daily donations. I confirmed that a large boom to the male population is incoming thanks to him," Maharu, despite a tear in her eye, looked proud.

Finally snapping, Misato got to her feet with speed and agility unexpected of a woman her age. The chair fell back with a crash as she advanced on her target, grabbing Maharu's shoulders. "What did you do to Shinji you bitch? Did you…did you force him to wank off in a damn paper cup for this little lie of yours? Did you sleep with my boy! ANSWER ME!" Misato thrashed the woman back and forth.

Quickly putting her arms up, Maharu knocked Misato back and stood up. "Danna did what was asked of him to help our people! And yes, I made love to my husband! So did my sister! We love that man, and if you were any other woman I'd have beat you down. But Danna loves you like a mother so I'm giving you slack. Now I'm not proud of what we had to do, but know it would have been a hell of a lot worse had we not! Now I believe I've a way to convince you that my story is true. Do you want to see some of Seiren's more advanced technology? I can draw up schematics that will make that cigarette your friend stole look cheap in comparison!"

All Kaji could think of when Maharu's little bombshell went off was 'Nice!' He wanted to believe the woman, if she was acting the woman was a natural actress, but if it were true the woman saved Shinji's life. He'd have to investigate things of course, but even if it were a lie to certain degrees it wasn't all bad. Shagging a beauty like that must have done Shinji's confidence a real boost, if her sister was half the beauty then…Kaji would have needed those paper cups just to keep himself clean.

"Akagi, escort Kanaka to your lab and see what she can show you. For now we will keep both her, the sister, and the Third under surveillance, dismissed," Gendo briskly stood up and headed for the door. He stopped however when he was addressed.

"You, I despise, for the damage you did to Danna, I don't think you can ever be forgiven," Maharu snorted as she helped the stumbling Misato right herself. "And the name is Ikari, get it write father-in-law," she scoffed.

Woman had balls if nothing else, Kaji realized. Following behind the trio of women, Kaji was mesmerized by the swaying perfectly formed derriere. Misato and this woman started talking more, Misato still had an edge to her, but something inside the woman's head shifted. Kaji didn't know, but it sounded like Misato was starting to like this woman, that was dangerous.

X-X

"This is adding up to that weird dance thing again isn't it?" Touji asked as the trio of soon to be guests arrived at the Ikari-Katsuragi-Soryu residence. "And you don't know anything either about this, class-rep?" he asked as he pushed the buzzer. His worries were few, Shinji had called him after all, but something about his friend seemed different. They all saw the leaked footage of the battle, Unit-01's absorption and rebirth were rapidly shared across the net despite Nerv's attempts to keep it secret.

Her eye twitched ever so slightly as she pinched Touji's arm. "We're not at school, Suzuhara! Would it be too difficult for you to not use that title for me?" Hikari added just a smidge more pain before releasing Touji's flesh. "And no, Asuka just said Shinji really wanted to see me, don't know why, but it's good enough time as any to thank him. He did defeat the angel," she fidgeted and pushed the button again.

"Shin-chan your friends are here!" a strange voice called from the other side of the peephole. "Oh what is that? Can I eat it?" the voice again called out but a bit diminished.

Looking at Kensuke and Hikari, Touji just shrugged. "Maybe it's somebody from Nerv we've never met?" he wondered aloud. "Open up Shin-man, and you better have a good excuse for dragging Ken and me from the arcade, they got a new fighter in today," he infused his baseless threat with excessive energy. When the door opened however and a face was given to the voice, Touji took a step back and pointed at the affront to his senses.

"It's called bread, Miharu, and yes you can," Shinji handed the girl hugging him from behind a slice of food. Turning to his guests, Shinji's smile widened to near mind shattering proportions, "You guys came, I'm so glad! I never thought I'd see you again. We've a lot to talk about, but first let me introduce you to somebody very special to me." Gingerly prying Miharu off him, he presented her to the group. "Meet Miharu, my wife…well one of them," he rubbed his finger under his nose and blushed a little.

Stepping past the two, Kensuke kicked his shoes off as he walked in. "Wife, that's a good one, Shin-man. Really who is she though? Misato's cousin or somebody else from Nerv or something?" Kensuke's laughter was raucous and filled the room.

Close behind the military nerd, Hikari was equally skeptical. "Ikari-kun, Asuka's wrong about you, you do have a sense of humor," she giggled lightly. Patting his shoulder as she passed, "And thanks for…for you know, the whole fight and what you did." With her shoes off Hikari wafted around the corner into the living room behind Kensuke.

"Miharu, I-uh-well-pleased to meet you?" Touji was dumbfounded at the woman. She screamed innocent, attractive, and with her massive mummeries sent Touji's mind into gutter territory near instantly. "Shinji where DID you meet her?" and how serious is your relationship as he really wanted a shot at her. Not that Touji was going to openly salivate on the woman's luscious body…not unless she let him at least.

After she inhaled the provided bread, Miharu recaptured Shinji's arm and snuggled against him. "I found Shin-chan in my bath," she said without so much as thinking about the effects.

Bath…nude…naked with this goddess…Touji brain not feel well. Shinji with woman in bath…woman out of reach bad. Touji's mind reverted to its primitive caveman nature as he shambled into the apartment past the pair. "I-uh…you two…when did this happen?" Touji just couldn't fathom it! Three days ago Shinji was having delusions about some phantom girl and now…wait a minute! "THE GIRL YOU SAID YOU SAW?" he yelped as his brain kicked back into gear painfully.

Pulling Miharu against him playfully, Shinji nodded. "It's a long story, Touji, and I'll tell you all you need to hear. But how about we do it in the living room with everybody else. And I've food cooking, Miharu-chan eats more than you do, if you can believe it," he wiggled the girl's nose and shut the door of the apartment.

Touji pinched himself again as he followed the pair, it was to dream like to be real! Shinji was just, well happy! Being friends with the gloomy boy, Touji had never seen Shinji so overjoyed. But how could such a change happen so quick, especially after a battle. Quite despite himself, Touji gave the girl a long look as he followed. Her proportions were beyond impressive and were on the cusp of unbelievable. As he entered the living room, Touji almost didn't notice the overloaded nature of the room. Asuka and Rei were sitting opposite each other on the ground, controllers in hand.

Separating from Miharu, Shinji strolled over to the kitchen, "I've a few things to finish. Miharu-chan remember you're not allowed in the kitchen when I'm cooking, not after what happened last week. Get acquainted guys," he picked his apron off a hook and put it back on before disappearing into the adjacent room.

"Last week?" Hikari asked aloud after Shinji was out of view. "Asuka, care to fill us in, or you um…Miharu-kun?" Hikari sounded almost afraid to talk to the girl. Sitting next to Asuka on the floor, Hikari gave Touji and Kensuke a wide eyed stare.

Holding up a finger, Asuka's hand shook violently. "One second, must beat this freak! You lied when you said you never played video games before didn't you First!" Asuka yelled as her digital samurai was disemboweled and beheaded on screen. "BULLSHIT! How did you even know to do that?" Asuka tossed her controller angrily at the ground.

Dropping hers with disinterest, Rei moved to one of the chairs next to the couch. "I watched you and Kanaka-kun and memorized the combination. To address your question Hokari-kun, Kanaka is a potential security threat retrieved from Ikari-kun's plug after the battle," Rei's voice betrayed nothing of what she honestly felt about anything, big surprise.

Being the giant ball of intellect that he was, Touji didn't understand a word of what Rei said. "Who is Kanaka, and how the hell could anybody get into that damn thing while it was eaten?" Touji wasn't a genius but he was smart enough to see stupid when he heard it. Shinji had vanished into the angel, if this girl came out with him didn't that make her an angel? She had the body of one, well if his porn movies were any indication of the perfection of heavenly agents.

"Kanaka was my last name before I married Shin-chan," Miharu quipped happily. Opening a bag of chips at her side, she quickly beset the snack food with a vengeance. "We got married to keep him from going to the center, Maharu said it was the only way, and I'm happy we did," Miharu turned her attention to the kitchen and the smells coming out.

Taking off his glasses, Kensuke cleaned them on his shirt and put them back on. "No, she's still there, Touji I think I've gone crazy. How does any of this happen in one day? Why is Shinji so damn happy, and whatever you're smoking can I have some?" Kensuke's joke was met with Miharu reaching into her pocket and handing the boy what looked like a joint.

"Their STORY," Asuka emphasized the word as harshly as she could as she turned off the game. "Is that Shinji stayed for two almost three months on some planet called Seiren," she got up and stared Kensuke down until he got off the couch. Taking the warmed seat, Asuka hiked her thumb at the door, "And the pervert is happy cause when we found him he was with the two spies naked. They must have drugged him or something. We just need to find out how. Married…HAH, who'd want to get married to him," she muttered just a little too loud.

Maybe it was his brain was still fried from the initial meeting with Miharu, or maybe it was true that Touji was just to stupid to live, but he spoke anyway. "You're jealous! I can hear it in your voice! You're jealous and afraid that its true aren't you Red?" he mocked as he pointed and laughed. Yeah, not the smartest move on his part, but Touji's mental energies rarely made for a bright bulb.

Adding more fuel to the Asuka annihilation engine, Rei's head tilted to the side and said, "From my observation it would appear so. Katsuragi might be jealous of the older Maharu, though it could be latent maternal instinct in her case." Rei nodded to her internal thought pattern, again the faulty programming inside her head kept the speech function from being invoked.

"I am not jealous of some farce! That girl is a liar and is using that idiot for some nefarious purpose!" Asuka screeched and pointed at Miharu. "Just look at that…that…THING and tell me Shinji is somebody she'd date let alone marry!" Asuka seethed at the still eating girl.

Taking no offense, hell likely not even registering it as rude, Miharu licked the salt and flavor dust off her fingers. "Shin-chan is a wonderful man, why wouldn't I want to marry him? We had so many offers to join us it was a little scary," she smiled all the same. Oblivious to the shit-storm she was creating, Miharu, clad in some of Asuka's cast off clothing a few sizes to small in the chest, gushed.

"Two to three months, hard to believe that, but how do we know how time worked in that thing?" Hikari asked aloud. Occasionally looking at Miharu and down at herself, Hikari brooded. "But they can't really be married can they? Not in Japan anyway, we're too young!" ever the rule abider she leapt at the nearest vein of reality.

Carrying a tray of snacks and setting it on the coffee table, Shinji laughed aloud. "Whether it's acknowledged by our government or not, they cared for me, and I've grown to love them. So to hell with what others say," he sat on the arm of Miharu's chair. "I've more in the kitchen so eat up everybody, and I recommend doing so fast before Miharu eats it all," he tossed a chip into the air and caught it in his mouth.

It was true, Touji didn't know how he knew but he did. The specifics or possibility of it all was to far outside his minds ability to grasp, but that didn't matter. The proof was sitting across from him. Shinji, with his time away from life or death battles and in the arms of that goddess next to him changed. Touji could still see a lot of the old Shinji there, but a new confidence was present. He liked what he saw, and if that meant Touji had no chance in hell at wooing Miharu, it didn't matter!

"Well that explains why you wanted to see us so bad. Not seeing me for that long would make most people crazy," Touji tried joking. When Shinji looked at him deadpan for a moment before breaking into fits of laughter, Touji joined in. Yup, Shinji was still repressed, but growing in leaps and bounds, Touji was damn happy. "Now who is his Maharu you both mentioned?" he saw Kensuke joining in the laughter.

"Damn Amazon if you ask me," Asuka muttered as she reached for the same treat as Miharu and was beat out. Her fist shook for a few moments before grabbing another. "Should have expected the idiot trio to all fall for pretty looks and big breasts. Hikari, you agree with me don't, I'm betting Ayanami does, she's not stupid," she leered at the duo at the chair who were oblivious to her.

Leaning against the couch, Hikari took a peek at Shinji and back to Asuka and shrugged. "It's hard to swallow, I'll admit that. Isn't their some way to test it or…I don't know," her shoulders bucked up in confusion. "They look happy though," she offered weakly.

Touji picked up the strange food, never had he seen a snack cake look like this one. The girls were too lost in girly things to notice the alien nature of the food Shinji served them. Wasn't that proof enough that at least something happened? No matter, truth would come out eventually and Touji couldn't wait to rub Asuka's nose in it. Girl couldn't stand having a more attractive and likely more popular girl show up, had to be it. Ayanami, Touji had no idea what that girl thought about the new girl in Shinji's life, but would wager it would be interesting.

Wait…Shinji said he was married to that girl, married couples do the horizontal mambo right? "Wait! Does that mean you two are shagging?" Touji got up and dropped his frosted cake. Shinji was hooking up with the beauty in between the sheets? That'd do a lot to explain the confidence and happiness Touji bet.

All eyes went to Shinji and Miharu, yep Shinji had changed but not enough to have him answer that question. He chuckled uneasily a few moments, but before he could say anything to lighten the tension, Miharu answered for him.

"Of course we do, he's very skilled at it," she then popped a cake into her mouth and chewed it contently. All chaos erupted as the girl proceeded to demolish the rest of the tray in the following great Shinji-chase.

X-X

The day just wouldn't end, Misato realized it was a fact. She was in her own private hell, and that meant it was just going to get worse and worse. Sitting at the table, with a heaping mound of something that smelled good but she couldn't recognize, was to be her pre-sleep snack. Bits of meat and vegetables were present, good, she knew what those were, but the combination and presentation was just bizarre. The two likely spies, or aliens, angels, or figments of her fevered brain were busy eating it. Shinji, her cherished quasi-son, was doting on them, fawning even! WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS! She couldn't tease him like this!

"So, when are you two leaving?" Asuka asked with the grace and poise of a drunken ex-girlfriend at a party. "You both took way to long in the bath, monopolized the living room, and are forcing us to try this odd 'snack' before bed. I think we've been polite enough, find a hotel or car or something else to go sleep things off," she picked at the food and pushed the plate away.

Tossing bits of food stuff into his mouth, Shinji rolled his eyes as he chewed. "Asuka, we don't have any place to go yet. Once things settle down, we'll get an apartment. Hopefully in this building. With the money Maharu can make with her knowledge of Seiren's technology we should be very well off," he pinched Maharu's cheek playfully.

Wait what? Move out…Shinji? No, that was just silly drunk talk. Odd, Shinji wasn't drinking and neither was she. Then that meant she was having the DT's. "Shinji, be a dear and say that again. I think I had something insane in my ear. It sounded like you said you were moving out…with these women. Given what she did with Ritsuko's computer made my friend faint, I'm not sure I trust their intent," Misato pooled her courage and ate some of the food. Her mouth exploded with flavor previously thought impossible.

With her younger sister indisposed, this was her favorite treat, Maharu chuckled as she twirled her glass of wine between her fingers. "Yes we are going to move out. No offense, but your apartment isn't really suited for two more residents. And well, I don't really fell welcome here," Maharu looked squarely at Asuka as she finished talking. Sipping the red intoxicant, Maharu smacked her lips together, "Nice vintage. Earth does have a few nice things after all."

"My favorite wine," Misato couldn't help but agree before that pesky reality came back to slap her. "WAIT! No! You're can't move out! I won't allow it! As his duly appointed guardian, I don't allow this farce of a marriage to continue. Said it yourself, if we can believe it, that it was for necessity. Well you're not on your planet, or storybook anymore, so I don't accept it!" Misato slammed her hand down, then took another bite of whatever it was Shinji made.

Playing around with the food more than eat it, Shinji's head hung low. "M-Misato-san, be reasonable. I-it started out like that, but after…after I gave up on the idea of being able to come home. Once I accepted I was stuck there, I…I honestly grew to l-love them," the old sense of Shinji came sparkling through. He did have increased confidence and happiness, but two months of joy couldn't take out all of his old self.

He was too trusting, to accommodating! "Shinji-kun, I know you feel that way now. But its just shock or puppy love. I don't doubt you THINK you love them, but…" Misato tried to rationalize it. She didn't want to accept it, not with such a dubious back story. These women were lying to them! They would just hurt him in the end if she didn't do something! Shinji had to be protected, even if it meant hurting him now. "What they said, this whole story is just too preposterous to believe," she said exasperated.

"ALL DONE!" Miharu chimed and kissed Shinji's cheek before gathering her plate up. Taking his plate as well as Asuka's, Miharu deposited the leftovers in the fridge for a mid-night snack. "And why can't we just show them Seiren, one-chan?" Miharu asked letting her head roll around in confusion.

Draining the last of her wine Maharu rubbed Miharu's head affectionately. "Great idea, I'll make a view screen first. That will clear up a few things. As for you, Katsuragi, don't question our feelings again unless you want to see just how angry we can get. It took Danna a lot of time and effort to open up to us, hell even for me to accept him. We can't all be as easy going as my sister. But know that when we finally did accept it, it wasn't forced, this isn't some phase or crush." Maharu pushed her chair away from the table and got up.

"We'll, we'll talk about it in the morning, alright Misato-san?" Shinji's deflated voice echoed in the still apartment. Excusing himself from the table, the boy headed towards his room with his wives close behind him. "I know this is hard for you, hard for both of you," he turned back to Asuka and Misato. "It's doubly hard for us. Earth is new and strange to them, and you have to believe me when I say that I honestly had given up on getting home. I nearly burst when I saw the entry-plug in the bath after so long," with a limp shrug he opened his door and the trio entered.

"Are you just going to let that happen?" Asuka's head fell against the table with a thud. "They're using that idiot, playing on his perversions to get Nerv secrets or something. And you're just going to let them because that hussy likes to drink as much as you do?" Asuka slammed her fist against the table. "Probably already doing nasty things in his room right now," she flipped her head to the side to look at Shinji's room.

Misato's thoughts, normally they ran fairly smoothly, were so disjointed that she had no idea what to do or make of things. He was still himself, Shinji wasn't replaced with some clone or replicate, she saw that fragile and soulful boy walking away from her just now. Her boy…closest thing to a son she'd have, had taken two women into his bedroom.

BACK THE FUCK UP! Slamming her palm on the table, Misato was on her feet in a flash and ran to Shinji's room. Throwing the door open, breaking it off the hinges with the effort, Misato nearly fell over at what she saw. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" she gasped out at the site before her.

"We don't have night clothing or undergarments yet, so tonight we sleep in the nude, Danna doesn't mind," Maharu in her birthday suit slapped Shinji's rump. "Though I'd like to test his bed, I'm guessing today isn't the best…what are you doing?" Maharu yelped as Misato leapt into action.

Propelling Maharu out of the room, Misato stopped long enough to turn back to Shinji. "Give her a shirt of yours and some shorts, Shinji. I do NOT want you sleeping with a nude woman. In fact, sleep on the couch or something tonight…please?" Misato's mind was near breaking. To many oddities were happening for her to take them all in, and Maharu's globs of bouncing, pert, and sexy flesh were making it hard for even her to think. She'd messed around with bi-sexuality in college thanks to Ritsuko and one really drunk night, but that didn't factor into why Misato forced Maharu to sleep in her room that night.

No, they were going to have some girl talk, private talk, and Misato wanted ANSWERS SHE WANTED TO HEAR! Shutting her door, Asuka's shrill yelp of 'pervert' and 'slut' ran like raindrops in the apartment, a sign that Shinji had left his room yet was followed by Miharu. Well let him sort that out, at least Asuka would keep Shinji from playing 'slap and tickle' with that girl. Tossing Maharu one of her robes, Misato fell into her mound of blankets and pulled out a bottle of the good stuff.

Unscrewing the top, "This is going to be a long night, I suggest you drink with me. It'll make things a lot easier on both of us I bet." Misato took a drink right from the bottle and handed it to Maharu. As the night progressed the bottle depleted, and before Misato blacked out, a consensus was reached. Maharu, Shinji, and Miharu did care for each other. If it was love, it was in its infancy, and Misato had to choose if she wanted to nurture it or try and sabotage it.

Oh and when she woke up that following morning, arms wrapped around Maharu, Misato didn't question that either. She was just glad the robe was still on…though she did get a nice handful of what Maharu said was 'Danna's property'.

X-X

As Misato was spinning the cap off the happy juice for a night of talking, confusion, and in the end a hangover, Ayanami was answer the call of her dubious employer slash all around strange man Gendo Ikari. But whenever such a call was made, Kozo just so happened to always make himself present. Was it fear that the rumors that Gendo was a closet pervert, no, Kozo knew Gendo was a closet pervert but not a pedo so Rei's virtue was safe from him. No, Kozo was present to make sure Gendo didn't order the girl to do something strange or dangerous. Have to be careful with orders given to Rei or things could get really strange.

Standing before the two aged men, Ayanami Rei was just as impassive as ever. Being called to Gendo's office in the middle of the night might have pissed off some, but Rei didn't appear to mind. "You have new orders for me?" she asked though what might have been a yawn. Proof that Rei wasn't a soulless doll monster spawned from the nether region to play with the hearts of geeks and otaku. Maybe.

From behind his desk, the cruel and heartless bastard king of Nerv stewed in his own juices. "Yes, Akagi reported that what she initial believed to be a joke from the believed spy Kanaka proved real. Our plans to remove both women will have to wait until we can get all her technical knowledge for ourselves," Gendo's gruff voice snagged a few times as he muffled his own yawn.

What that had to do with Rei, Kozo hadn't the foggiest. "As he said, we have verified a few of the theorems Maharu-kun presented. They offer humanity a vast array of unexpected breakthroughs and a potential weapon against the angels," Fuyutski felt like adding. Gendo had the panache to stare down bears, but the man took forever to get to the point at times. "What we don't know is why they have allied themselves with Shinji-kun. And their claims of marriage are quite perplexing," though if he were a younger man and in Shinji's position Fuyutski would have issues leaving the bedroom.

Not getting the point, Rei's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. "I can vouch that the one named Miharu is taking her role at Ikari-kun's side very seriously. But what does this have to do with me?" a strange almost human quality entered Rei's docile tone. Agitation bordering on confusion intermixed with her standard neutrality.

"Until we can remove them without notice, we have to insure the Third isn't completely compromised. You will watch and report upon his actions. Remind him of where his true loyalties lie. Unit-01 is showing signs of dependency upon him, so we cannot risk losing him as a pilot," Gendo's glasses gleamed in the low light of the office. "If you must, get closer to that group to gleam their true motive," Gendo's hands clenched tightly.

"I am to spy on Ikari, Miharu, and Maharu then? Using the guise of friendship or courtship to lower their guard to assorting their plans," Rei saluted and headed out of the room as silently as she arrived. Who needs clarification of orders anyway, lock and load!

Snorting but keeping himself from laughing outright, Kozo was beside himself. "Wish I could be around to see just how she plans to do that. Girl is a subtle as a N2 bomb going off," Kozo smiled all the same. "And why can't you just admit you're worried about your son, failing that jealousy he has not one but two beautiful, smart, and caring wives?" Kozo knew Gendo better than any living person. Gendo was a jerk alright, but not evil just driven to achieve his task.

"How is having Ayanami spying on potential security threats any indication of what you said, professor?" Gendo spun his chair to face the aged man. Pushing his glasses up, Gendo threw pretense to the wind and yawned widely. "Damn late nights," he muttered.

And there he was ladies and gentlemen, Kozo so wanted the mass of people terrified of the great and terrible Gendo to see this scene. The man was scratching at this crotch with one and digging for nose gold with the other. "You gave Ayanami and order basically to try and hit on your son. Having read the report that your son is in a polygamous relationship. Tell the truth, you want them hitting it off don't you? Daddy's quasi-little girl marrying into the family?" Kozo felt the chuckles coming back.

"I never said that, and you know it old man. I simply don't want to risk Nerv's security on two pretty faces when they haven't been made fully useful yet," Gendo stopped pawing at whatever itch had made its way between his legs and flicked the booger off. "If those two proof a threat they will be dealt with. Their technology however is to great an opportunity to pass up at the current time," Gendo shuffled his report from Ritsuko together and stood up.

Clicking his tongue, Kozo followed closely behind. Their steps echoed in Gendo's office loudly. "Sure, I believe you. Those pictures of the three of them when Shinji first got back you have hidden in your desk are clear proof of that," Kozo winked at Gendo and opened the door for his pseudo-friend. Things were going to get interesting, and Kozo was going to insure that those two women were safe, and that Rei didn't get in over her head. But hell, what was the worst that could happen?

X-X

Authors notes

First off almost all of the parts about Seiren are made up. The show went into NO details about the planet, and its just speculation on how exactly a planet so heavily populated with women would operate. It went a bit darker, but from a logical standpoint I think its believable. Trying to keep things humorous yet moving along and not stalling into a unintelligible mess of odd.

Hope you liked it, comments and other ideas for my bigger cross-over are still welcome so have at it.

Ja mata

Zentrodie (zentrodie-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com)


	3. Chapter 3

Standard Disclaimer

Yeah, totally was sick as a dog on Sunday so this didn't get started/finished so sorry about that. Feeling better now so…I do this over a period of time and hopefully to works out in the end. Work is mindnumbing at the moment, but hopefully it'll get better. Well, hope I didn't keep you waiting to long.

X-X

Eva Bravo

Chapter 3 – Socializing is Bravo

If half of the schematics and equations she was looking at proved real, Ritsuko was going to win just about every award in the field of science this year. Having society altering technology before her kept her attention away from the train wreck of humanity behind her, but Misato was trying to ruin that anyway. Ritsuko thought three days of living with the redhead bombshell would have eased Misato's conscious, if anything it was worse.

"Could you children be quite please, I have a whole new method of energy to investigate," Ritsuko quickly turned from the screen to yell at the two behind her. Why Kaji and Misato had to constantly harass Ritsuko's new best friend was something the bottle blond wanted a damn answer too. "Maharu-san, could you tell me again how these water gems work, I think I got it, but a little more details would be great," Ritsuko, a true scientist, was in hog heaven with all the potential.

His feet striking the ground in Ritsuko's small lab louder than politeness dictated, Kaji approached the two women. "San? You two have become close friends relatively quick. And here I thought you took ages to warm up to people Ritsuko?" Kaji leaned on the console next to Maharu and winked at the woman from Seiren. "And, no offense Kanaka-kun, but how do you know any of this is actually legitimate or even able to be replicated on earth?" he did sound like he was attempting civility.

Quickly putting a healthy ten feet more distance between Kaji and herself, Maharu rolled her eyes. "Hormones back in the box please, my husband wouldn't like to know that you're hitting on me. Danna said nothing but good things about you in the past, I'd hate for it to all be lies," Maharu reached into her lab coat and pulled out a stick of gum. "And Ritsuko-chan, you'll find a full break down of how the crystals operate in a file I uploaded last night" Maharu hopped up on the examination table by the wall.

Finding said file, Ritsuko almost dared not open it. A limitless power source that didn't pollute, it was almost too good to be true! Leave it to a planet of women to solve the problems men overlooked. Licking her lips, Ritsuko double clicked the file and started reading, "Maharu, if you weren't a woman I'd kiss you full on the mouth." Ritsuko's eyes boggled at just how simplistic and elegant the solution was! Ritsuko LOVED that woman's brain!

Taking up the empty air next to Kaji's right, Misato's crossed arms and scowl did not show a woman in a happy state of mind. "Careful Ritsuko, she just might take you up on that," Misato huffed. Playing the screen head service, Misato glanced at the future of mankind and promptly turned away. "And when exactly are you going to get your own cloths? Or do you like walking around about to pop out of that damn lab coat?" her finger jutted at the aforementioned bust nearly exploding from it's flimsily cloth confines.

Mother hen, mother hen, when did Misato become such a damn mother hen! Had ending energy crisis, making mind blowing changes in teleportation science, oh and becoming the most famous woman on the planet not been on her mind, Ritsuko would have found it funny to see such a change in her friend. As she wanted a happy Maharu and to hell with everybody else, "Misato if you're going to be a pain in the ass could you take it elsewhere? I for one believe Maharu's story, this type of science is so advanced I can't help but believe it."

"How can you believe that story! Time doesn't work that way and you know it!" Misato scoffed. Grabbing Kaji's shoulder and giving him a 'back me up if you ever want peace again' look, Misato gave the man a powerful shake. "Look I'll agree that they appear to care for Shinji, but this whole 'alien planet' of women line doesn't make logical sense!" Misato whined.

Rubbing her fists under her eyes, mocking crying, Maharu couldn't help but laugh. "I thought logic and you parted ways a long time ago, Katsuragi. Why else would you still be insisting Danna sleep in the living room away from us? As for my clothing, Danna is buying Miharu and me some tonight," Maharu's smile was thin and evil. Sitting down next to Ritsuko, the surprisingly intelligent woman started typing along side her first earthly female friend.

"Wait what? You want Shinji-kun to sleep with you" Kaji's voice raised several octaves bordering eunuch territory. "He's a fourteen year old boy, and you're what…twenty-five? Don't you think it's a little inappropriate?" Kaji stopped wincing after he asked his question and Misato's foot was removed from his toes.

The whining and bickering were getting to a crescendo in her head, keeping her from mastering the water-gem teleportation logic she was reading. Ritsuko HAD to know how it worked, it could mean so much! Instant teleportation to any point on earth, hell any point in the solar system seemed possible! "Kaji, I know you're hoping this marriage thing is a lie so you can hook up with Maharu, but give it a rest. Even Misato realizes that they like…maybe love each other," Ritsuko had little faith in love, but hell Shinji was a nice enough boy and Maharu was a toned down Misato with a brain…best of both worlds.

Letting go of her mouse, a peculiar design, almost phallic, on the screen was half complete, Maharu cleared her throat. "No, it's perfectly acceptable for Ryoji to ask that question. He forgot the fact that from where I come from it's acceptable for men to marry at age twelve. And I find no shame in a wife wanting to dote on her husband, and vice versa. Danna became very skilled towards the end of our prolonged honeymoon," though her comments were aimed at Kaji, Maharu stared intently at Misato.

Rounding around Ritsuko, the angry and non-thinking Misato spun Maharu's chair around viciously. "But you are not on your 'planet' anymore are you? You are on earth, and earth has laws!" Misato spat out. Hands clenching each side of Maharu's chair, Misato leaned in close. "That boy is the closest thing to family I have, I don't want him hurt over a situation that was created out of necessity as you yourself said it was! I'm willing to believe a lot, but to think a fourteen year old boy is capable of life altering decisions is not one of them!" Misato's spittle drenched Maharu's face.

Turning to tell Misato to shut up or GTFO, Ritsuko's jaw hung slack. Maharu had the keys to disarming the Misato bomb, and they were contained in her lips. "What the…" Ritsuko slapped her forehead as she watched Maharu locking lips with Misato. "Uhm…Maharu, Misato?" Ritsuko felt her cheeks go flush as Maharu gripped Misato's head and held it firm. "Kaji say something?" Ritsuko ordered only to find Kaji mesmerized. Stupid man, probably getting off on the damn scene…not that Ritsuko was…or wanted to be in Misato's place. No, that was just totally silly. DAMN it was hot in this room.

Breaking her patented double crested lip-lock, Maharu gently pushed the stunned Misato away. "You really are the mother like figure I thought you were. Just like he said you were," Maharu patted Misato's cheek. "Now, be a good girl and go away and stop bothering us. Lots of work to do, lots of money to make, as I will not let Danna support Miharu and myself alone," Maharu winked at Misato.

"You…you…what the hell was that!" Misato's shrill girly voice was near earsplitting. Spitting on the ground, Misato rubbed at her lips and wiped at her tongue in an adult showing of appreciation. "Kaji…KAJI!" Misato bellowed at the still wide eyed, and pants tighter, Kaji. "We're going to check on…SOMETHING!" Misato said with all tack and diplomacy as she grabbed Kaji and stormed out of the room.

Once reality set back in, the room quite as mother hen and father hard-on had left, Ritsuko let back with laughter. "Wow, never saw Misato taken so far aback. And half to admit, didn't expect you to do that. Not with how you keep saying 'you belong to Danna'," Ritsuko dried the tears of laughter off on her sleeve. Maharu's little kiss did leave credence to the idea that the women were spies and just using feminine wiles on the only male pilot, but still was hella funny to see.

Leaning back in her chair, Maharu spun back around to her work. "That woman is incorrigible at times, but it's not like I can blame her. Two women show up claiming to be the wives of her boy? I know its odd, and I have a theory about time displacement, but I have to make her understand. This wasn't easy for any of us…well Miharu had no trouble with it, but Danna and myself weren't jumping into the sack day two," Maharu's hands danced over the keyboard. "Going to have to make a new OS for this computer, its far to slow," Maharu said offhanded.

With a shrug, Ritsuko could see where Maharu was coming from, if the story was to be believed. The sea of dirac could have done any number of physically impossible things, but without proof it was all dust and shadow. "You didn't really have sex with Shinji-kun did you? You're just saying that to piss Misato off, right?" Ritsuko was interested in that little fact. The kid was alright, passive and submissive, nothing like his dad, but Shinji had a great impact on Misato and that's what Ritsuko cared about.

Leaning in close to her screen, Maharu's lips curled up revealing her glimmering white teeth. "Of course I did, somebody had to make sure he knew what to do when it came time for Miharu's first time. Danna was timid at first, but…after a good two weeks I have to admit he was a beast," Maharu traced the screen with her fingers. "Take a look at this and tell me what you think," Maharu sounded breathless.

Shinji, Misato's quasi-brother/son had been shagging this beauty and her sister…who was Ritsuko to judge. Memories of Gendo and her little trysts came to mind and Ritsuko realized the age difference was likely greater between Gendo and her than Maharu and Shinji. "What is this then, another reason I should move to Seiren and leave this planet behind," Ritsuko quipped as she adjusted her glasses. "What the hell is that?" Ritsuko pointed at the item of carnal delight on the screen.

Printing off the design schematics, Maharu laughed, "Thought you'd like that. With so few men, we had to come up with some inventive ways to entertain ourselves. This was just about to be released back home, not my work but I saw the documents while on the net," Maharu chuckled. "I'm going to be the queen of all women on this planet after they get a load of this," Maharu leaned back her head and whooped.

Inching in closer to the screen, Ritsuko etched the item of unholy lust into her soul. "I said it before and I'll say it again. If you weren't a woman I'd kiss you right here," Ritsuko swallowed hard. This woman's brain was going to revolutionize the damn planet! It wasn't a sexual attraction…not totally anyway, but Ritsuko found a kindred spirit in Maharu. If only she wasn't so similar to Misato, Ritsuko suspected, Maharu would have been better friends with Shinji's flat mates.

Getting off her chair, Maharu popped her back. "Speaking of that, Ritsuko-chan, ever thought of a Ménage à trois? Danna might be against the idea at first, but I bet I could get him to warm up to the idea. It's always been a fantasy of mine, and I'll admit, I've taken a liking to you," Maharu winked playfully at the stupefied doctor.

"W-wh-what? You hardly know me! I'm not mentally pre-prepared enough for this…I only experimented in college with Misato and what about your sister?" Ritsuko flubbed as she frantically looked about the room for the hidden camera. It was a joke right, one big and evil joke. "B-but if you really want…I guess Ikari-kun isn't unattractive," Ritsuko couldn't believe she was considering it.

Collapsing on her console laughing, Maharu pounded her fist against it leaving a small dent in the metal. "Sorry-sorry Ritsuko-chan, I was just kidding. You're just too cute and easy to tease, just like Danna," Maharu rubbed Ritsuko's shoulders lightly. "You are a real sweet girl, but my time of girlfriends ended on my wedding day…though…" Maharu squinted and gave Ritsuko a once over, "…maybe."

Her face burst into a royal tomato of shame! "GET OUT!" Ritsuko shrieked as she drew her coat over her head to hide. Maharu was too much like Misato after all, evil and vile and full of trickery! And to think…to think that Ritsuko's heart skipped a beat at the prospect. Maharu did say 'maybe' though, maybe what Ritsuko didn't know and her brain stopped functioning anyway for future analysis.

X-X

His feet pounded against the track, but Shinji found his oxygen level was more than sufficient to continue his pace. "I remember this being a lot harder," he commented to Touji at his right. Finding Kensuke gasping and lagging behind however, Shinji did slow down to a more acceptable pace. "Sorry about that, Kensuke, you ok?" he asked knowing the red faced and wheezing boy was anything but.

Wiping the sweat off his head with his forearm, Touji swung away the nasty smelling moisture. "Man, Shin-man, when did you get the time to improve in this stuff? Last week you were all tired and limp like Ken here, and now you're running me down," Touji's expanding and contracting chest gave credence to his now second rate physical stature. After a deep breath, "Bet you could be leading the pack if you weren't being all nice to us."

"I-uh-a-a-" Kensuke tried saying before his body was wracked with a coughing fit. "Break…sit…" he pointed over away from the track and shuffled off. Looking pleadingly at his buddies, the 'if I'm alone I'll get in more trouble' sign clearly flying in the wind. Crashing against the fence, Kensuke's face pointed skyward and he sucked in air.

With a shrug, Shinji didn't really care about taking a break or not, but followed out of courtesy. "I guess we ran enough for now that we shouldn't get in trouble," he mused. Giving a weary eye over at the girls, Shinji couldn't see Miharu's mop of pink hair and that worried him. He had asked Asuka to keep an eye on her, keep Miharu from doing something odd. But Asuka hadn't been to kind since he got back, and he had a small inkling as to why.

Grabbing the fence, following Shinji's gaze, Touji wolf whistled, "Always love girls' pool day. Don't see your wife up there though." Nudging Shinji in the side, Touji's grin was dopy and contagious. "Can't believe this is her first day here, girl fit in so fast it was as if the other girls were waiting for her," Touji continued his long distance sexual harassment.

Spinning back around, putting his back to the fence, Shinji slid down to sit next to Kensuke. They believed him, his friends, truly believed him and that was one of the first good things to happen to him since Shinji returned. "Miharu is just that type of girl. It's hard NOT to like her, and she's so accommodating its scary," a hit of worry accompanied his little factoid. Miharu was TOO trusting in Shinji and Maharu's mind.

Kensuke, his breathing almost under control gripped his legs tightly to his chest. "With a body like that…better warn her bout…guys like Touji," Kensuke wheezed out through a clenched teeth smile and watery eyes. "But yeah, girls just love her. Though I don't think they realize her last name is YOURS and not just a coincidence," he finished with a few racking coughs.

Shinji wasn't blind to the other boys' wanton gazes on his wife, but he had faith in her. She could be gullible, but he suspected if anybody got to close she'd cause one of her patented explosions and change things quickly. "Just give her time, Miharu can be awfully clingy at times. Right now she's overwhelmed with her spirit of exploration. Once she gets used to things," Shinji shrugged but his emotions were plain for all to see.

Punching Shinji's shoulder over Kensuke's head, Touji couldn't keep his own mirth contained. "Damn good to see you so happy man. If I didn't know you I wouldn't have believed a word of this Miharu business. But seeing you actually looking happy, it's too much proof," Touji joined the others in sitting. "Still sucks knowing I don't have a shot at her, and I can only imagine how her sister looks," Touji's hands waved a female figure.

Not wanting to correct Touji with the more top heavy figure, Shinji sagely didn't destroy Touji's mind. Maharu…well Maharu whipped Shinji into a froth when she wanted to. While he found her achingly sexy, Shinji found he matched her personality more. Outwardly his older wife was confident, strong, and determined, but he knew the truth. Maharu was very good at masking her fears, insecurities, and her soft core. When Maharu weakly asked if he was disgusted with her for being so much older than him and being happy to be his wife…well Shinji melted and not only in his mind but into her arms.

"Shocking what almost three months of relative peace with two of the most fantastic women I've ever known can do," Shinji hummed and settled into a now well worn content smile. "If only I could get Misato and Asuka to believe us, and not keep saying I've been brainwashed or too young to know," Shinji kicked out at a rock sending it flying. Why Misato was against it, Shinji could fathom, but not Asuka. Why Asuka was so adamant about things, well that left our clueless male well…clueless.

Giving the girls another glance, Touji pointed at the mentioned German. "Bet she really is jealous, and not just of Miharu's star eclipsing hers on day one," Touji muttered bitterly. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Touji grunted, "Give shit time I bet, hell if you move out I bet things would really stir up the beehive. But with Nerv stuff and all I bet that can't really happen."

Nervously joining Touji in spying on the girls, not ogling them he swore to himself, Shinji still didn't see Miharu. "Actually if Maharu-chan can replicate some of Seiren's technology we might have a more capable defense against the angels," Shinji's sense of artificial pride was high. "You'd be amazed, or terrified in some cases, of what a planet of mostly women can create," Shinji had seen some of Miharu and Maharu's toys and the boy did NOT want explanations on their uses.

"That explain why you're now able to nearly kill me running? They give you a pill or something to fix those lungs of yours?" Kensuke finally under manual breathing again asked. Flipping up his glasses, the geek tossed decorum to the wayside and spun around completely to watch all the nubile flesh. "Oh damn man…lot of girls are checking you out Shinji," Kensuke was oddly happy with that.

Rubbing his nose, Shinji had hoped he was imagining those prolonged glances from the nice but off the table girls at the pool. He was faithful, and why shouldn't he be, so those gazes would not be reciprocated. "No, my increased running comes from Miharu-chan's appetite," he weakly laughed. "If we ran out of food we had to get more by walking to the market. If Maharu was with me, she was stern enough to scare off the waiting women. Miharu…well…she thought it'd be fun to learn what they wanted. So I ended up running as every manner of women, young or old, fat or thin, you name it, were running after us," he explained.

Lips drawing thin, Touji's head bobbed a few times as he imagined the scenario. "Yeah it's alright if they're all babes, but never thought about EVERY woman running at ya. Bet a few would be bad to let ya-self be caught by," he grimaced at whatever vile form of femininity he imagined. "Anyway, glad they done ya good in more than just your noggin," Touji got up and dusted his jogging pants off. Spying the girls one more time, Touji's hand fell to his side, "Oh fuck man, what is…that IS Miharu isn't it?"

Getting up quickly, Shinji's heart was already beating rapidly in his chest. He didn't have to look to know he wasn't going to like what made Touji pause. Asuka either failed to help Miharu, or and the more likely solution was playing a trick on his wife. "What is it Touji," he asked out of necessity. Finding Miharu by the pool fence waving at him, Shinji's was filled with anger he thought impossible. "Damn it Asuka!" he slammed his fist against the wall. They were going to have to talk about this, and fast.

Standing by the fence, waving happily at Shinji, "Shin-chan! How are you doing down there?" Miharu called out. Her swimsuit was roughly two sizes too small and she was nearly popping out of it at every seam.

Finding Rei staring lazily at him, odd she never used to, Shinji pointed at Miharu. "I'm good Miharu-chan, but I think Ayanami might need to help you with your suit!" he kept his gaze on Rei and begged her with his eyes. Rei's social knowledge might be just above a rock, but she knew enough not to wear indecent swim wear! Maybe in a more private setting, no Shinji BAD Shinji don't think about it…not now…on second thought maybe it would be a good punishment for Asuka if he had Miharu keep…NO!

Whether Rei understood fully or not what Shinji was psychically begging her to do, the albino wandered over to Miharu and drug her off to the changing room. Five minutes later the pair returned, Rei's cheeks oddly colored, and Miharu was in a vastly more appropriate attire. The boys at the track gave Shinji one nasty set of glares for ruining their vision of perfection, but the young husband thought 'tough fuck for them!'.

X-X

Kicking her shoes off, Asuka chucked her satchel in the corner where she always did. Good to be home, normally, but today she thought might be a trifle rougher than normal. Damn Miharu, if that was even her real name, just had to be so damn committed to her act or role or whatever it was. It was good for a laugh to see that girl prancing about like some x-rated movie star, seriously how the girl managed NOT to explode out of her suit amazed Asuka. But Shinji, stupid and gullible as always, just had to believe those 'sisters' and had the audacity to be upset with her.

"Doesn't that idiot know I'm doing this mostly for his benefit?" Asuka grumbled as she tugged at her socks. Nothing like bare feet to relax, she couldn't get comfortable with the damn fabric and shoes on. Sniffing an unexpected but delectable aroma in the air, Asuka had to check her watch. "Baka, it's too early to be cooking, so why do I smell something already?" she called out while walking deeper into the apartment.

At least that was a good sign he wasn't still playing at being upset with her. So he made Miharu look like either a fool or a slut…and the guys were lining up to talk to her after gym. Not HER fault Miharu kept her innocent act up. Stupid men…slaves to their damn meat sticks, all it took to rupture the class was a pretty face, huge jugs, and that total bullshit act of Miharu's to have them all eating out of her hand. Not hearing Shinji's response, "I asked you what the hell you're doing cooking all…ready?"

Sitting in the living room, seemingly waiting for her, was the happy freak's sister. Now that one had to be the real brains of the outfit as Maharu even had Misato convinced that some of their story was real. Having walked Hikari home, Asuka had expected the little ordeal at the pool to be common knowledge when she got home, but somehow Asuka wasn't expecting what she saw. Maharu was smiling at her, those pouty ruby red lips, that impishly sexy face, oh yeah that is a woman in Shinji's league.

Her eyebrow raising ever so slightly, Maharu tapped her temple with her finger before turning back to the television. "Danna is cooking early since we'll be going out shopping for cloths," Maharu coolly said offhandedly. Flipping through the stations, the woman stayed on nothing for more than a few seconds, "This box is evil in how it wastes time."

So she was going to have to eat early or have it re-warmed? That wasn't fair! Just because he had to play dress up with the two whores, she had to suffer. Well he was going to get an earful for this. "Shinji! What is this about you taking these…women out shopping?" Asuka had to at least play coy as she entered the kitchen. If she was to offensive he'd clam up, it happened once already. Calling that annoyingly chipper Miharu 'a dumb cow' caused not only Shinji to walk off but some odd explosion in the other room, no damage but smelled odd.

With Miharu gazing hungrily over his shoulder, Shinji twirled a ladle in the biggest soup pot Misato owned. "Oh yeah, Asuka, since Miharu and Maharu are to, um, big for Misato and your clothing I thought it was time to get them some of their own. Say 'aah'," Shinji smiled and held the spooned up offering to Miharu. Pouring it into her open mouth, Shinji rubbed her head with a sigh and put the ladle back in. "I'll keep this on the burner on simmer so it stays fresh," he untied his apron and tossed it to the table.

"Ooh, can't we eat now?" Miharu put a finger to her chin looking forlorn at the bubbling cauldron. Leaning over the pot, Miharu was about to put her finger into the mixture before Shinji pulled her back. "A little?" she whimpered cutely.

Spinning the girl around effortlessly, Shinji gently pushed her towards Asuka and the door. "You'll ruin the plans I have of taking you two out for dinner, and you should know those eyes don't work on me when it comes to supper," he firmly told her. Arms crossed and jaw set, the boy appeared every indication of not backing down.

Watching the sulking utter-cow walking past her, Asuka felt disgust rising in her. Not directed at Shinji himself, but the girl who had the gall to try and act as the simpering girlfriend. It was an act, it HAD to be. Shinji wasn't…wasn't somebody that could get an actual girl that high quality…Miharu was almost in her league…almost. "So get it out, Shinji, I know you've something to say about the incident at the pool. You have it radiating around you like a bad stench," Asuka plopped down at the table and tried not to drool over the smell of whatever Shinji cooked.

Cleaning his hands in the sink, Shinji remained quiet for a few moments. Shutting off the faucet, he twirled around and leaned against it. "First off, why don't you tell me why you did it, Asuka? I asked you to look after Miharu so something like that wouldn't happen, and here you trick her into it," he didn't sound angry, actually inquisitive.

As if he had to ask. "I wanted to see how far she'd take the act, alright? I expected her to show her true colors and not do something so degrading, but girl is committed to the lied," Asuka shrugged and found herself unable to keep her eyes locked on Shinji. She wasn't in the wrong! It was audacious to believe that in the span of a day Shinji lived so long with two damn women right out of the naughty books! Feeling the need to justify her disbelief, "Look, unlike Misato and you, I have a working brain. Their story does not make any scientific sense, it just doesn't! So until I have proof of this insanity, I'm going to continue to try and expose them for the spies they are!"

Eyes closing, Shinji's head wafted from side to side as he thought. When he did grace Asuka with his soulful blue eyes, he didn't speak but walked over to her and put his hand down on the table. "Look at my index finger, Asuka. I broke it in my entry plug as I started getting hysterical and clawed at the hatch to get out. See how it's bent to the side a bit? How could it have healed so well in such a short time if it didn't happen?" he grabbed the crooked finger and waggled it showing no sign of pain.

"They did it to you and feed you the idea, just like they did of the perverted male paradise you claimed to have been living in," Asuka recounted just as quickly as she covered her gasp. Whatever they did to him, it was powerful stuff, and even he didn't deserve to have his body modified for the lie. Stupid bitches going so far for this damn story…hurting him…lying to him. This was just going to crush him after they dropped him, didn't he know that! She didn't…didn't WANT him hurt, Asuka wasn't that cruel…and that was the only reason she cared.

Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, Shinji exhaled deeply. "Believe what you want, Maharu is working on a way to prove our story. I guess it was wrong of me to force you to look after Miharu at school," Shinji stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to the door. "Thankfully Ayanami agreed to do it in your stead, better than nothing I suppose. Miharu really seemed interested in her too, so maybe it's for the best," Shinji nodded to his logic and headed for the door.

Wait that was it? He was just going to leave her like this with no apology, no asking for forgiveness, no nothing? Shinji…Shinji was just leaving her behind? No! NO! That wasn't how this relationship worked! "That's it? I get your little 'wife' to almost show her goods to the whole male half of the class and you're just going to walk off?" Asuka wanted more! She wanted him angry, wanted him furious! SHE WANTED HIS ATTENTION! Oh…fuck.

"I learned a lot from them, Asuka. Learned that my nature before was just running from my problems. Maharu and you are a lot alike in some ways, and she taught me that my mindless apologies just made things worse," Shinji leaned against the doorframe. "It was wrong of me to force you into something you didn't want, and I am sorry for that. I'll ask you not to try hurting Miharu again, out of a personal favor to me. But only you know if you'd honor such a promise even if I asked. So I won't bother," Shinji shrugged and headed deeper into the apartment. "You two ready?" his distant voice wafted through the apartment.

"I need to use the privy, but you two head on down, won't take long," Maharu's robust and powerful voice rocked the room.

Sitting at the table, eyeing that pot of whatever it was Shinji made, Asuka's hands clawed at the table. Was that really it? Her venom towards those two girls wasn't just out of a sense of self-protection from potential spies, but fearing herself cut off from Shinji? Sure he was fun to tease and play games with on occasion, but wasn't that it? The feeling she had when she thought he was dead ran through her head. Maybe, maybe it wasn't so cut and dry.

Asuka lost her voice when she felt a soft yet firm set of objects press against her back and slender yet powerful arms latch onto her shoulders. Leaning in close to Asuka's ear, Maharu whispered dangerously, "Danna and my sister are both forgiving and naïve, two things you'll find lacking in me my dear girl. I know you have issues with us, I can understand that, but if you try and hurt my sister again I'll hurt you in a way I think you're just coming to realize. I'll ask Danna to move out that very day, and my beloved would do it." Maharu let her fingers drape down Asuka's back like water. Heading back towards the door, "Think we'll stop at one of those things you call a Love Motel, before coming back. Been so long since we explored each other…though I'll have to keep Miharu occupied elsewhere." With a wink, Maharu vanished as if she had never been there.

Blinking hard, Asuka's breathing had returned but in long arduous lunges. "That woman is evil…I have to be right about them…has to be a trick…please?" she asked to whatever was listening. Why couldn't she have her simple and easy life back! Why couldn't Shinji be her little pet, Misato her annoying roommate, and everything be as she wanted again?

As Pen-Pen started inhaling the food Shinji made for him, the bird offered no answer other than to burp contently and waddle off.

X-X

Leaning against the wall by the dresser, Kaji made a point not to touch any of Rei's things. It wasn't that he was afraid of the girl knowing he was there, that was the point he was meeting her, it was because it was all so dirty he wanted to avoid it. Weren't girls supposed to be cleaner than guys? If so why was this dive worse than his apartment and he hadn't taken out the trash in over two weeks! No matter, Rei did save him a day of trailing and that was worth standing in the dusty aired apartment.

"Just hope she gets here soon before dust bunnies start taking up residence in my lungs," he chortled. While unlit, Kaji clamped down on his smoke as the sound of the door opened and the lights flipped on. Making an entrance was always important, even if only to a girl with no sense of cleanliness or social etiquette. "Evening Ayanami-chan, and how went your date with Nerv's most famous new couple?" he loved his sense of style.

With a bag in each hand, Rei stopped her progress through the dimly lit yet noisy apartment. If Kaji's sense of charisma meant anything to her, Rei showed no outward sign of even acknowledging his existence. "Ikari-kun was correct, I need a lock," Rei said monotone and headed to her tiny fridge. Opening the sparsely populated machine, the light steaming out bathing her in its radiant light, Rei dropped the smaller of the two bags. Shutting the door she graced Kaji with her attention, "You wanted something Ryoji-kun?"

Taking a shot to the pride, Kaji had to remind himself that Rei was a special case and not to take offense. With a lumbering stride, Kaji broke from the wall, "Just wanted to thank you for trailing Shinji-kun and his two beauties so I didn't have to. Misato was insistent SOMEBODY keep tabs on them. She might be starting to believe their story, but she doesn't want him alone with them without a chaperone," Kaji shrugged. If it were up to him, Kaji wouldn't have minded if Shinji got some loving, even if it was from a spy. Especially Maharu…man that woman just rubbed Kaji in all the right ways.

Pondering Kaji's comment, Rei just breezed past him and set the second bag on her bed amid the rumpled sheets. "It was not my initial intent. Researching Miharu-kun hadn't reached the point for insertion yet, but she insisted I accompany Ikari-kun and her shopping," Rei's voice echoed in the nearly empty room. Opening the bag she gazed deeply in and reached in and stopped.

Not wanting to seem nosy, Kaji couldn't keep his curiosity at bay as he coyly tried peeking in the large bag. Genuinely interested in just what got the icy teen to actually attempt human interaction, "What made you agree to go with them? Was it the mission or something else?" Kaji didn't have to worry about Rei suspecting him of anything, it was lucky he had been around the command staff enough.

Spreading her arms further apart, Rei gazed intently into the sack with something akin to confusion mixed with a hint of joy. "As I was ordered to acclimate myself to Miharu-kun and Maharu-kun, annoying either by refusing a meeting attempt would hamper the mission. I attended purely out of my duty to ascertain what they have planned for Ikari-kun," Rei shut the bag and sat next to it daintily putting her hands on her lap.

She wasn't going to throw him a bone at all was she? Girl was brass tacks and stone faced in everything, Kaji liked the challenge though. Occasionally however he did wonder if anything got a rise out of her. "Good plan, does that also explain the two bags and why you refer to the two targets by their first names? You don't even call Shinji-kun his name and you've known him a lot longer," Kaji popped his back and headed to Rei's window. Peeking through the blinds he got a good look of nothing but look at a drab construction site.

Hesitation lasted a few moments, but Rei did in fact not answer immediately. "At Ikari-kun's insistence we dined at a restaurant at the midpoint of their acquiring of clothing. The parcel I put in the refrigerator was the leftovers of my meal," Rei had the rare human failure of actually burping the tiniest amounts. Grabbing the other bag, Rei set it on her lap and pulled out a long elaborate black dress. Holding it by the shoulders, Rei let Kaji examine it. "Miharu-kun insisted I get this to match hers, her reasoning is yet unknown to me," yet Rei veiled at possibly liking said idiosyncrasy.

Would wonders never cease? Ayanami Rei in something other than a plug suit or a school uniform? Kneeling to get a better look at the dress, Kaji spied Rei over the top of it and thought he might have seen smidge of tinted cheeks. "That really your color?" Kaji wondered what Rei would look like in black. With her complexion, Kaji mused it'd be a rather nasty pairing. To pale with to dark would equal her skin being almost illuminated. "Oh and is THAT why you call them by name? You trying to get used to sounding friendlier to them?" it sounded harsh, but Kaji didn't really mean it that way.

Refolding the dress, Rei set it on her lap and ran her fingers over it. "Ikari-kun said it suited me well when I tried it on," was that an edge to her comment, possibly sass-back? No matter the enigmatic girl's emotional context, she continued, "As for the monikers I use them merely as a way of separating the trio apart. As referring to all of them as 'Ikari-kun' would cause confusion to anybody not familiar with the events that transpired," Rei that time did sound mocking.

Something wasn't fitting right with this, and Kaji was actually digging it! Aw did Rei have a little attitude about her mission? Was she actually becoming friends with these women? Kaji wanted to know more on that front, something, ANYTHING, to make Rei seem more human and not a life sized marionette. "So Shinji-kun took a shine to you in that dress, cute. Maybe after all this is sorted out and those two are hauled off to the brig you can model it for him here…but then he'd likely want to take it off," Kaji winked with his lady killer smile on.

Rei nearly caused the man to have a heart attack when she blushed fully and dropped the dress. Scooping it back up she laid it on the bed, "It is yet to be seen if they are lying to Nerv or not. They remained perfectly aligned with their cover story and gave no inclination to deception. Ikari-kun also appears very enamored with them leading credence to the story as well," she said even softer than normal.

Well he heard enough, and he didn't want to bother the lovely young woman anymore that night. She had proven to be relatively human and not an alien pod-person so Kaji had enough to report to the big G. Shuffling towards the door, avoiding the newly cast on the ground bag, "Well you keep your eyes on them, young lady. And just remember that if they ARE telling the truth then 'Ikari-kun' is in a polygamous relationship and this Miharu girl likes you, so maybe you could be his third?" Kaji chuckled and left the apartment. Not knowing that he planted a very unique seed of unknown logical consequence.

X-X

Authors Notes

Trying to keep the story moving forward and not stagnating and giving more characterization to the Maharu character. In the anime/manga she is hardly present and mostly a very bland 'teasing big sister' type character with almost nothing else given to her as a character. Miharu is…well Miharu is very much the 'nothing fazes me, I'm happy, lets go explore' type of character so her charm lies not in how she is but what she does to other people.

Hope you stick with this and keep on reading. Sorry if this one is a bit shorter, but what I have planned for the next chapter should be longer.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	4. Chapter 4

Standard Disclaimer

Well hope you all had a happy Easter if such things matter to you, and if you enjoy the occasional puzzle game I hope you enjoyed Portal-2. I enjoyed both and it sucked a lot of time out of my week. I took some time off of keyboard banging for the holiday and for the temporary arrival of spring.

X-X

Eva Bravo

Chapter 4 – Unit 3 is Bravo

Clad in her formal uniform, Misato was chewing on the inside of her cheek. Another tense two weeks of living with those damn sisters was wearing her down. Watching Maharu instruct a few of Nerv's technicians set up the experiment at Matsushiro, Misato could feel a growing fear inside her. Things were rushing towards a head, and she couldn't stop it if she wanted to keep things peaceful, and Shinji in her good graces.

Asuka was still insistent that the two were spies bent on stealing Nerv secrets or attempting to sabotage them, but Misato didn't believe that anymore. After talking to Ritsuko about some of the proved theories and devices from Maharu, she knew those women didn't need Nerv secrets. No, they were legitimate and Misato knew she should feel great about it but she didn't. Not when it meant she was going to lose her boy to them, a sacrifice to the survival of humanity against the angels. Couldn't they take Asuka instead of Shinji?

"Katsu-chan are you coming down to watch the show or am I going to have to go up there and get you?" Maharu called out exuberantly. In a very attractive form fitting black armless dress, the damn woman from Seiren was making many of the men sloppy in their work. Maharu's toned arm lassoed Ritsuko and yoinked the blushing woman in close, "Ritsu-chan is all about this experiment! I know you're still skeptical, but this will prove everything we've been telling you since we got here!" an edge of victory blossomed in her voice.

Yes, yes victory over sad speculation and bitter hatred. Misato wanted the women to be spies so she wouldn't lose her family to them. "I can't believe we're risking Unit-03 to this 'water gate' theory of yours. If we lose this Eva, do you know how much trouble we'll be in?" Misato rolled her eyes. Descending the catwalk towards the receiving area, she fixed her hiking skirt. Teleporting Unit-03 from America, it was impossible! It had to be a damn impossibility or that last shred of hope that Maharu could be tossed out of Nerv on her perfect ass would be squashed.

Prying herself out of Maharu's grasp, Ritsuko tugged on her collar as her color returned to normal. "I've gone over the figures and theorems for the last week, Misato. This has every reason to work based on the nature of those gems we were able to fabricate," Ritsuko pulled a small water gem from her pocket and tossed it to Misato. "You won't believe all the possibilities these babies have for humanity. Say goodbye to dangerous power sources. Hell if we made a big enough one we could fit them in the Eva's for a lot longer power. And…" Ritsuko would have continued blabbering had Misato not held up her hand.

"Fine, fine I get it, world changing bit of blue glass," Misato held the gem to her eye and stared at Maharu through it. The woman was an enigma the more Misato interacted with her, and it was harder not to like her, damn bitch. Bitch for making Misato like her and enjoy her company. Had Shinji not factored into things, Misato would have had a true kindred spirit to go out drinking and Shinji teasing when they got back! But no, Misato had to hate her for trying to woo her little boy away. A mother's duty was to hate her boy's wife, just like it was the father's duty to hate the husband.

Putting the coin sized gem in her pocket, Misato popped a crick in her neck. "So after this destroys Unit-03, our jobs, makes us outcasts of society, or works when do we bring in the pilot?" Misato didn't want to say the boy's name. It was a cruel blow fate had opted to use in clobbering Shinji over the head with, Misato thought. His best male friend had chosen to take up the mantle of 'Child' to help his sister. Bad things would happen if something happened to that damn boy. "And I reiterate that we are doing this without higher up approval so I hope those patents in Shinji's name are as valuable as you claim or I'm making YOU the stripper to pay our rent," Misato's finger depressed into Maharu's plump bosom.

Taking a step away from the molestation, Maharu covered the affront with her arms. "Letch, I have to watch you all the time or you'd assault my sister wouldn't you!" she gruffly spouted off as she turned her back to Misato. "You just want her and my babies for yourself, it's like being back home again. Dirty dirty women after us! Oh what I do for science, and my husband," Maharu threw her head back in mock drama.

One of the first level technicians, standing rod stiff, saluted the equivalent to a junior high school play, "Ma'am we're r-ready to begin the operation at your go." Trickles of sweat were dribbling down his cheek as he tried not to ogle the inappropriately dressed for the occasion Maharu.

Leaning over, showing the uncanny valley to the man, Maharu pinched him playfully. "Good boy, now run along and we'll make history in a few minutes," Maharu rewarded the man. Stomping her foot after he had left Maharu let out a loud yawn to mask her stomachs rumbling. "Somebody is going to have to pay for my losing a night of beauty sleep for this little hush-hush operation. And I am NOT happy having to keep secrets from Danna," Maharu headed for the control panel.

Yeah, secrets, the real source of Nerv's power, and Misato wasn't enjoying being the current banker for this game. "Look, I don't like keeping Shinji and Asuka in the dark about this, but until the test is concluded and he passes the test it wouldn't do good to let others know about his selection," Misato thought the lie sounded plausible. Reality was hardly as beautiful as fiction however, and Touji was kept a secret to prevent any negative backlash.

Finishing up her own work, Ritsuko pulled the plugs connection her laptop to the open panel. "They'll find out tomorrow after the test. But they have to be asking questions by now. Three days of us coming and going without much word of our actions?" Ritsuko rubbed her hands on her coat cleaning off some dust. "Just one more day after today if this test works though, and maybe we'll not have to worry about the angels anymore," Ritsuko's eyes were alight with possibilities. Pulling a Shinji rolled smoke from her pocket she lit up.

Taking the pink smoking object from Ritsuko, Misato waggled it in the scientists face. "How can you not only smoke these but make Shinji make them for you! You've not done enough tests to prove they're not something worse than they claim them to be," Misato's anger was rising. Ritsuko was already in Maharu's pocket, and that irked Misato. Stupid scientists being lulled to sleep by world altering technology and advancement, how shallow could they be? Shinji's skill at rolling said smokes was another annoyance, boy just had to be so accommodating!

Stealing back her new favorite mental relaxant, Ritsuko took a big drag and blew it in Misato's face. "Smells great doesn't it," she took another drag. "I know all the ingredients now, watched him make them, so I know they're safe," Ritsuko gave Misato's shoulder a small punch. "You have to stop being so defensive Misato. I know the what and why of this attitude of yours towards Maharu and Miharu, but you can't stop it. Shinji's going to be richer than all the oil barons of the Middle East combined after production starts of any ONE of those patents. They love him, and I've never seen that boy so happy before so it's pretty clear it's mutual. And hell, not like they're moving back to Seiren right?" Ritsuko tried to sound supportive but the eagerness in her voice was overwhelming.

With a deep and soul aching sigh, Misato's head fell limply against her chest. "Let's just see if this damn teleportation thing works before we start thinking fantasy stories about defense systems and teleporting angels into the sun," Misato wanted to scream. Anybody else on the planet and Misato wouldn't have cared who Maharu and her sister were banging if it meant they had access to the tech. But NO, it was Shinji, and Misato did have one nagging fear that maybe, just maybe those sisters would want to go home…to a different planet.

Getting behind Misato, Ritsuko propelled the depressed woman forward. "Shouldn't you be happy that your boy has found not one but two women that he can spend the rest of his life with happily?" Ritsuko continued to try and bolster Misato's mood. "No fear of him being used, I'm sure he'll share his vast wealth, and before you know it you'll be a grandma!" ok that was a cheap shot but Ritsuko wasn't above teasing.

Grandma! GRANDMA! Misato's righteous anger switch was triggered and she spun around swinging. "I am not that damn old! So don't you dare call me grandma! If anything I'll be the cool aunt that…oh you bitch," Misato's smile countered the verbal slam. Giving Ritsuko a light slap, more for the sound than any actual pain, Misato huffed and headed towards Maharu. As she neared Maharu, Misato found herself re-evaluating things.

Why was it bad for Shinji to be with a woman that Misato liked? It wasn't. He wouldn't have to worry about being used by some little tart just wanting to date 'a pilot' or 'hero' or just using him. And, selfishly, Misato was already thinking of where she could move and what she could buy with her little boy's insane profit generating potential. Misato wanted her boy happy, so what if it came a few years earlier than expected, and came in double rather than single.

As she reached the top of the gantry, Misato's mood had shattered. Gone was the doom, gloom, and hatred having been replaced with acceptance. Gripping Maharu by the shoulder, standing so close one of the tech's noses erupted in a fount of blood and he passed out, Misato gave Maharu a simple head nod. "Lets see this thing work, and then we can talk about Shinji not sleeping in the living room anymore," Misato found Maharu gripping her hand.

"Danna said you'd warm up to us in time, I was worried he was wrong," Maharu clamped down on Misato's hand. Turning her attention back to the panel before her, and not the league of men secretly hoping the two rival women would suddenly break into a hot lesbian tongue-off to prove dominance. "One giant robot, fresh from the other side of your planet, now," Maharu hit the button and the empty hanger bay was awash with a soothing blue light.

Ritsuko walked past the console, breathlessly, and clutching at her shirt, "It-it worked! I can see…I can see Unit-03!" Ritsuko's barely contained excitement boiled over as a round of cheers went up in the bay. The world had it first controlled portal opening, and it was large enough to roll an Eva through. As the black behemoth was pulled through the quantum space hole, Ritsuko had tears in her eyes, "It's working Misato! We did it! Instantaneous teleportation from one point on earth to another!"

She could scarcely believe it herself, but seeing was believing, Unit-03 was no in their hold along with one very exuberant American. Hearing Maharu clear her throat, Misato felt that one last lingering thread of maternal fear snap. "Just don't…don't let Asuka hear you or I'll never hear the end of it and Shinji would be thrown off the balcony," Misato didn't turn to see Maharu, didn't want to see her. Acceptance was one thing, but forever would Misato connect the women with a wall separating Shinji and herself.

Handing the blond woman from America one of the countless small water gems from her pocket, Ritsuko gave the woman a handshake and a salute before the English conversation ended. Running her hand against Unit-03, Ritsuko giggled, "Misato, its all true, all of it! Those gems, her items of carnal delight, the smokes, and so much more! A treasure trove of female created bliss for mankind! Wish I was nicer to Shinji-kun so I could get some of the trillions he'll be making."

"Let's not go overboard just yet, Ritsu, we need to test this bastard to make sure the transport didn't fry anything. You said so yourself," but Misato knew it wasn't going to be an issue. Unit-03 was safely teleported over, it was going to work, and all those promises from Maharu were going to be realized. The Misato of a week ago would have been livid, Misato now…having had Ritsuko open her eyes…was content with this. "Anything from our departing American friend…who you gave sensitive material too...that you feel you should add?" Misato's head jerked as the portal closed and the light diminished.

Tossing a gem into the air, Ritsuko caught it deftly without a care. "I didn't tell them how to make them, and without Maharu's documents the American's will never be able to steal it. It is safely in our hands. As for a small issue, they had already loaded a plane with a few samples in case this didn't work. We'll be getting blood work samples via air freight tomorrow while we do the test. It should show up at Nerv but not like we need it," Ritsuko's thinly veiled joy evaporated as she leapt at Misato. Her joy needed an outlet and Misato was there…the few men that saw the show all fainted and had wonderful dreams.

X-X

Staring at the back of Shinji's head as the boy stuffed garbage into an open bag, Touji didn't know where to start. He got the call from that blond woman, his test was going to be tomorrow. All the pain, suffering, and agony he had seen on Shinji's face that one time they shared and entry plug, that was to be his fate now. But did he tell Shinji this, ask him if it was a good idea, or keep his mouth shut. As he waffled over what to do, he just floated through the day and the result was Shinji and he were in Ayanami's apartment.

"Man this place is a damn wreck, how can Nerv let Ayanami live in a place like 'dis," he ran his finger down the wall. Rubbing the dirty mess he collected on his jeans, Touji was having a hard time believing Shinji's transformation. The shy and timid Shinji was still there, but Touji could see other more positive qualities in the boy shining through the cracks. "And I don't think ya should be picking around her crap like this," Touji just looked around the room in disgust.

Stuffing old bandages and used medical cast offs into a garbage bag, Shinji just chuckled. "I doubt Ayanami would mind to much if I cleaned her place up a little, though I would be careful of those glasses if I were you," Shinji pointed without looking at the only clean place in prior to his efforts. "Place is a little better than the last time I was here though," he rubbed at his nose nervously.

That was unexpected, Shinji had been here before? Giving the cracked glasses a bored glance, Touji picked up an empty food container next to them and opened it. Clean on the inside, but otherwise empty. "So you and Ayanami were hitting it off before you got your wives? Still can't believe you're married now and get to have a tasty wife like Miharu. Not cheating on them with Ayanami are you?" Touji knew it wasn't likely but guys had to egg each other on. Was a rule or something he read on the internet.

Tossing the third bag of garbage into the heap, Shinji stood tall, put his hands on his tailbone, and gave his back a good stretch. "I wouldn't say we were hitting it off, but I think we had a friendship somehow. And I was only here once when I gave her a new card," Shinji rotated at the waist eliciting pops and cracks. "It ended very badly," his fingers flexed for some unknown reason.

Leaning back, accidentally knocked his head off the wall, his fingers clenched tight and crushed the flimsy Styrofoam container. "Damn this place is tiny, and I do agree that girl talks to you more 'dan anybody," Touji rubbed at the growing bump on his head. Setting the destroyed container back down next to the glasses, Touji just hoped nobody noticed. Strolling carefully around the room, he tried to garner the courage to actual speak what was on his mind. "Say…how is life with now 'wit those girl and the devil? Girl still seems ready to throw Miharu off a roof or you," he punched his right fist into his left palm. Why Shinji put up with Asuka was beyond Touji's feeble ability to process.

"Been sleeping on the couch for the last few weeks because Misato doesn't want us in the same room," Shinji said a little exasperated. Moving to the bathroom, the lad started throwing wet towels over the shower rod. "We're trying to be patient with them, Asuka and Misato, but I think Maharu is getting agitated. I am to, but not for the same reason," Shinji picked up a used feminine article with his thumb and forefinger and trashed it without looking. "Am I such a loser that it's so hard to think somebody like Miharu would like me," Shinji said dead serious. Turning to Touji, hands at his sides, Shinji was the picture of vulnerability.

How does a guy talk about something like this to another guy? Touji wasn't the most sensitive guy on the planet, far from it. But here he was prompted with a serious question without really knowing what to say. "You a good guy, Shin-man. Don't let the devil's bullshit put you down. Hell you go the Ice Queen to talk to ya, and I bet the devil is just jealous that she lost her chance with ya," Touji stumbled over one of the trash bags and pulled open Rei's small closet. "Whoa, what is that?" Touji saw one glaring variation of Rei's clothing. Taking the article of alien nature out of the closet, Touji showed it to Shinji. "Hey man, Ayanami have a sugar daddy or something with bad taste in color for her?" he held out the black dress.

With the signs of a smile on his face, Shinji went back to cleaning the apartment. "Miharu picked that out for her, and I happen to think it suits Ayanami very well," he defended his likes. "Be careful with that though, Ayanami is defensive of her possessions she cares about, and since that wasn't thrown out…" Shinji just died off. After several moments of trash being audibly heard being tossed about, "Miharu seems to really like Ayanami. Miharu likes everybody, true enough, but something about Ayanami…Miharu is always asking to invite her to go out with us."

Hanging the dress back up, Touji shrugged. If Shinji liked the odd clash of pale on black, who was he to judge. Touji had his own peculiar likes…freckles…twin-tails…yeah those were a nice combo. "Whatever man, girls have odd ways of clicking with each other. Guys don't have that shit, we know right off the bat if we wanna beat somebody down or go out for a burger," Touji believed anyway. "So what does it feel like?" he finally got the courage to ask. Did it hurt as bad as it looked like it did, damn bio-mechanical bastards.

"First time was humiliating, Maharu was very supportive, after that it got a lot better and those movies of yours don't do it justice," Shinji answered the wrong question. Leaving the bathroom and tossing the forth bag on the pile. "I thought you would have asked earlier, but I'm glad you didn't. As for their first times, well…when Hikari and you stop playing around and get to it, just be gentle and if she wants to stop do so," Shinji wiped at the sweat on his brow.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Touji shouted at any of the mind warping statements Shinji just said. Hikari and him? What was that all about? He didn't ask about sex, sure he had wanted to ask about it but thought it better to ask Miharu about it. Girl was just approachable and honest. The time he had planned he found her eating a banana and had to rush to the bathroom instead. Girl was deep throating the damn thing before eating it…image was seared into Touji's mind forever right next to Misato doing the same thing.

Getting a dusty rag from the sink, Shinji wet it, rung it out, and started cleaning the floor. "Hikari, Touji, I see the way you look at her, and judging from some of the half heard conversations between Asuka and her I think she likes you too," Shinji rubbed at a particularly nasty spot. "Or did I answer the wrong…oh um…forget about what I said then," Shinji fidgeting on the ground.

Hikari might like him? He had never thought about it really, Hikari was just there. A girl who had been a friend since they started school and had the falling out that puberty brought about. He thought about her of course, plain but nice, but never thought about her in a romantic light. Damn it! He was getting off track now! Images of Hikari danced in his head making thinking about his soon to be pilot duties want to fade away.

No! Bring in the hormones for now! He had Shinji's attention, he had the opportunity to confess the new future for him, and get answers to his questions! Put Hikari back into the box of 'things to deal with when I'm smarter' and more to the issue at hand. "I was actually wanting to know about…" Touji was cut off as two voices erupted from the door.

"Wasn't ice cream all soft and wonderful, I knew you'd like it Rei-chan!" Miharu's chipper voice filled the moderately cleaner apartment. "Oh somebody cleaned your apartment, I bet it was Shin-chan," that eternally positive girl could brighten anything up.

The exact contrast to Miharu's overwhelming joy was Rei's monotone, "It was acceptable, if not messy." Rounding the corner of her small hallway, Rei saw Touji staring at her and a quick look behind him, Rei's forehead furrowed. "Suzuhara, what happened to that parcel behind you?" a hint of anger rose up from within the petite beauty.

Having Rei say his name was a shock, seeing Rei with torrents of white fluid dribbling down her lips was a slap to the face of his sanity, but hearing that slight tremor in her voice…Touji felt true fear. "I uh…accidentally…" and that was all he said before Rei literally picked him up and threw him out of her apartment. As his head collided with the wall, vision swam and the pain blossomed wonderfully, the crown jewel on the fucked-up crown was.

"Oh Shin-chan would it be alright if we let Rei-chan come with us. She seems interested in it…" Miharu words drifted out as Touji ran from the apartment letting his mind fill in the blanks. True or not it didn't matter, Touji's sex addled mind was more than willing to believe whatever it wanted. He'd have to talk to Shinji about it later, if he was able.

X-X

With an arm around his younger wife, Shinji stretched out his legs and reclined heavily into the couch. The two of them just got back from a nice walk around the shopping arcade, Miharu only forced four food related stops a new record, and Shinji was ready to relax a trifle. Misato had taken Maharu off to whatever secret mission they were working on, rumor around the base was Unit-03 was now onsite and Kensuke all but confirmed it at school earlier. Shinji was getting a little depressed at the amount of work Maharu was forced to do, it wasn't fair to her.

With her legs up on the couch, Miharu leaned comfortably against her husband with half laden eyes. "Shin-chan thanks for taking me shopping today. Onee-chan has been to busy to go with me," she kissed Shinji's cheek. Snuggling up closer, Miharu rested her ample assets against Shinji's arm. After a wide mouthed yawn she added, "You've been busy too, with all those papers you have to fill out."

Ah the inevitable food coma, Shinji knew this event well. After the black hole that was Miharu's stomach was sated it caused the pink haired beauty to sleep occasionally. With the apartment to themselves, he had wanted to get a little more personal time in, they hadn't had any real contact since arriving back in Tokyo-3. But Shinji was patient and in time they'd get to it. Both his wives were quite taken by the act, as he was, but the fear of being caught or bothering the other flatmates was a potent cold-shower.

Providing Miharu the best pillow he could with his body, Shinji rubbed his own belly. "Well since I'm currently the only legal resident of Japan, it is easier for me to copyright those designs," it wasn't fair but at least Maharu was glad that nobody could steal the ideas from them. Shinji was uncomfortable being the man whose name was on so many life altering devices. An American cigarette company already offered him fifty billion yen for the sole right to releasing his new blend. "Rest well, Mi-chan, hopefully we'll know what's going on soon," he could see Miharu was just as worried about the day's of Maharu's absence as him.

Already half asleep, "It's so big I don't think I can fit it in my mouth," Miharu sleep murmured. Her mouth opened wide and she continued to sleep eat whatever vision her mind provided for her. "Have some too Rei-chan, enough for everybody," she continued before she began to snore lightly.

Closing his eyes and counting to twenty very slowly, Shinji calmed his libido down. Miharu, unlike Maharu, could accidentally spur Shinji's mind into the gutter. With Maharu it was intentional as she teased the life out of both of them, or on the rare times Miharu was asleep it wasn't a tease. "You can fall asleep anywhere, can't you?" he asked the dozing woman as he patted her head.

With the sun already set, supper already in their bellies, Shinji considered just going to sleep right there with Miharu in his arms. It had been so long since he was aloud to share a bed with either of them. "Misato just needs time to adjust. Just need to be patient," but he didn't want to be. He had come to appreciate and enjoy the extra large bed they had on Seiren, now he just felt cold and alone as he went to bed. Old memories of that loneliness haunted him, but right now it was chased away.

Then the door to the apartment opened and the light flipped on, "I'm home!" Asuka's annoyed voice shot through the apartment like a happiness destroying missile. "If you're doing anything perverted I'll throw you off the balcony!" who she was referring to was left a mystery. Asuka liked to let her prey think they might survive before she destroyed them.

BULLOCKS! "Thought you had a date tonight Asuka?" Shinji called out after placing a pillow on Miharu's ear. He'd try to keep her asleep if he could, but with Asuka loud noises were almost essential. All his effort in helping Miharu did however was shift her head down to a very incriminating position. "E-end early or something?" Shinji looked at Miharu's head squarely in his lap pointed down and the hall where he could hear Asuka shuffling about.

Kicking her shoes across the room, Asuka spied the living room with a suspecting eye. "Good, that girl isn't here," Asuka sighed as she missed Miharu's body. "As for the date, I wasn't in the mood so I canceled it after I saw the guy. Saw something at Nerv today that I wasn't happy with when I went Kaji hunting," Asuka headed to the kitchen.

Tossing the pillow to the couch, Shinji shook Miharu's shoulder trying to rouse her. Asuka seeing this wouldn't be a good idea, he could try and move her, but Miharu was an immovable object when asleep. "A lot of secrets from Nerv last few days, Misato even swore Maharu not to tell me about it," and that fact alone should end Asuka's suspicion but Shinji doubted it. How anybody could be so stubborn about an idea as Asuka was about his wives, Shinji wished he could understand so he could destroy it.

With a bottle of tea in her hand, Asuka immerged from the kitchen and made a beeline to her room. "Yeah, but I wont' tell you what I found, they'll have to tell you themselves. I'm not your babysitter," Asuka actually sounded happy as she vanished into her room. "So where is the gold digger at today? Off trying to coerce Ayanami into the sack like she did you? Girl is great at making idiots fall for her," Asuka's voice wafted out of her room as she maneuvered about.

Ayanami and Miharu, Shinji's face blossomed a very pink hue as he continue to try and move Miharu. Damn girl, damn lovable and loving girl wake up! Nothing he did made Miharu do anything other than giggle and more sleep talk. "Asuka just because Miharu-chan is friends with Ayanami is no reason to say such slander, and she is NOT a gold digger!" Miharu would have been happy with anything Shinji got her. But since he wasn't using his current money he had no reason not to dote on the women that brought him such joy. Money wasn't going to be an issue any longer.

"Shinji, I saw Ayanami groping that girl's breasts in the changing room and she LIKED IT!" Asuka yelled as she left her room and shut the door. "Either…Miharu," she said it as reluctantly as possible, "is a damn nympho or she's playing Ayanami like she played you. I don't want to sound cruel, but under normal circumstances a girl like that is out of your league." As harsh as the comments were, Asuka didn't come off as belittling or cruel, actually sounded concerned.

Frantically Shinji pulled at Miharu's head to reposition her but the damn land beast just fell back to her explicit position. "Miharu-chan's always been…more open about such things. I don't think it's sexual and Ayanami seems to like her anyway. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons Ayanami would um…touch Miharu-chan's chest," Shinji sweated. After the oddity of the night before where Miharu insisted Ayanami join them on another little date, where he forgot she was there and cupped Miharu's…ahem. Shinji noticed Miharu's head raising a little…fuck!

A flush and a rising from the bathroom later, Asuka leaned against the wall scoffing. "You are so quick to defend that girl and her even worse sister. And I thought Misato was bad, but damn put the two of them together and it's a shit storm of impossible frames and…" Asuka sagely shut up lest she admit a jealousy. "Anyway, you never did say where that girl was?" Asuka asked as she jumped onto the chair adjacent to the couch.

"It's so big and warm, I can't wait to taste it," Miharu muttered a little to amorously than non-food addicted people would. As Miharu's mind went to food first and other things second it was natural she dream of food and all the new things she wanted to eat. Pity be those that misconstrued it.

And he was going to die, no questions about it. Shinji knew that fact and was resolved to his fate. With Miharu saying something likely about some of the dishes he promised to cook for her while she had her face in his crotch, well Asuka had no recourse but to murder right? "I can explain this," he said simply as he pointed at Miharu. "She ate a lot and fell asleep and rolled. Dreams about food and if you don't know that I'm sure it would seem like…" Shinji couldn't believe it Asuka's wide eyed and red faced expression was dieing down.

That was until Miharu's dream took a change and she voiced it, "Shin-chan that's a waste of food to stick it in…I love you." She sat up, eyes barely open and sleep kissed the boy deeply. Then she fell back against the couch and continued dreaming the dreams of the innocent.

"I'm going to give you five seconds, after which I'm going to rush you. If I get you I will break something, what I don't know," Asuka said calmly as she stood up and cracked her fingers. "Here I am trying to keep your idiot self safe from a damn fucking whore trying to seduce you into getting us all killed, and what do you do? You GO AND FUCK HER! Is that all our lives are worth to you? A damn lay or blowjob and you'd let us all die? What about me damn it! What about Misato? Are we so worthless to you?" and the biggest slip Asuka could have made, "Don't my feelings matter to you damn it!"

Asuka and feelings? Well ask Shinji that a long time ago and he would have thought Asuka's feelings for him were hatred and pain. After what he learned from Miharu and Maharu though, Shinji quite against his better judgment could see something that he tried to suppress. Asuka cared about him, not as deeply as his wives, but the bud of feelings had been there, only his old self wouldn't have nurtured it. Well, he could now, but he was already spoken for and his fertilizer was already spoken for.

As he sat there and let Asuka grab him by the collar, he shut his eyes and waited for the punch. It never came, when he peaked at her, Shinji wished he hadn't, "A-Asuka?" She just bore down him with empty broken eyes, before walking off to her room and slamming the door. Twenty minutes of trying to coax her out ended with the phone rang. Something had happened and Nerv couldn't reach the test facility, and on top of that they were reading a pattern Blue in the city.

After using smelling salts to wake Miharu, Shinji found Asuka gone already, probably for the better. Rushing outside he found Section-2 already waiting for them and took the ride to Nerv in silence. Maybe, just maybe, he hoped Asuka's expression was more acceptance than jealousy. Guy could hope, couldn't he?

X-X

Situated five miles south of Unit-00 and five miles north of Unit-01, Asuka gripped the stirrups of her Eva tightly. She was livid, she was pissed, and she was confused as all hell. It wasn't Shinji that caused her ire, or even the sultry pair of possible-spies. No, the source of her disquiet was herself. Her emotions, even in the face of this unknown angel, were not on the battle but in a cloud of confusion. Did she love Shinji, like him as a friend, or not give a rat's ass about him?

While she wanted to say she could care less about the bastard, she knew that was a lie. Love though, that was the confusion element she couldn't fathom clearly. If she hadn't chased Kaji around the base hoping to get him to see her as a woman she might have considered her feelings for Shinji were deeper. But she found out Touji was the mystery third pilot just before a humiliating attempt at seducing…very humiliating. But where did that leave Shinji in the nexus that was her emotional matrix?

For the life of her, Asuka couldn't answer that question. The more she thought about it the more it unraveled in her mind. Asuka knew she liked the boy, just to what degree? Time, she thought she had time to sort that shit out, but no she didn't have that. Hell before he showed up with Miharu and Maharu she had thought he'd be on the back burner for as along as she hunted Kaji. And if she got Kaji she'd formally tell the shrimp to beat it. But while she chased after the suave manwhore, Shinji moved on.

"Soryu are you paying attention to the mission plan?" Ayanami's deadpan voice briskly asked. The albino's face appeared in a small video box along side the nervous looking Shinji's. "Your attention should be upon the adjective at hand," Rei almost frowned as she spoke.

Thumbing her latex covered hand across her nose at the girl, Asuka scoffed, "I know the situation Wonder Girl. Three pronged attack after we know the location of the angel. You are the weakest link here, so maybe you should pay more attention." Her anger flared at being caught off guard, but Asuka couldn't help it! That bastard defended the girl and not himself! When she went to smack him, Shinji didn't cower he shielded Miharu! At that moment Asuka had an epiphany and it left her rattled to this moment. Shinji had moved on, replaced her, and all the things she took for granted were gone. Spies or not, Shinji was devoted to them.

Turning to that annoying boy she didn't know if she thought of as a brother or a would-be boyfriend, "How you holding up? Sorry about at the apartment, I saw her sleeping and knew it wasn't what it looked like, but just snapped. Her tricking you like that and all." If Shinji hadn't looked so haunted she would have been crueler, but the boy looked ready to pounce. When he didn't immediately answer her, "Yo! Shinji, we still friends or you ignoring me?" Were they ever 'friends' officially though, Asuka felt a coldness at the prospective answer.

His head shook wildly as his focus was broken and he registered Asuka talking to him. "Oh, yeah I'm fine…if you can call not knowing what happened to you wife and guardian alright. Hell we don't even know if the pilot of Unit-03 is alright! All we know is some accident occurred and that a weak blue pattern is SOMEWHERE!" Shinji slammed his fists against his stirrups. "And on top of it nobody is watching Miharu in the lab, what if she eats something bad?" he worried aloud.

Shinji had enough worries on his mind that Asuka wasn't going to tell him that Touji was the pilot. One more push and the boy could crumble, and that would make a bad situation worse. "Just calm down, idiot, or you'll fall on your own damn knife! Keep focused and we'll see to your," Asuka swallowed hard, "wives after this alright? And I think we need a long talk," where she got all the answers she wanted and could sort her shit out preferably. Too many things were pointing to the fact that the story was true, no spies, no lies, and that the future she had planned was tits up.

"Unit-03 spotted, no communication coming from it however," Rei's breathless voice broke the silence. "Moving to intercept along route 42," the visual signs of stress and battle that all the pilots had were shown. "Approac…." Rei's comment and visual feed cut out after a brief yelp.

"AYANAMI!" Shinji screamed and started to move his behemoth. Ordered to be the last line of defense, the pilot was not listening well to the orders he had been given. "Say something, what happened, Ayanami?" he again called out.

Rolling her eyes at the dramatic action her fellow pilot was having, Asuka would never admit to feeling the same. In her best commanding tone, "Shinji stop! You have to stay behind remember, protect the base AND MIHARU." It pained her to drop that name, but seeing Shinji instantly react to it meant it was well used. "I'll go see what Wonder Girl tripped over, you keep this place from falling on itself," Asuka turned her beast towards Rei's last known location.

The chatter from the base was just as useless as normal. Maya was telling her nothing she didn't already know. Unit-03 was the target, but how hostile was unknown. Unit-00 had gone silent, and her only remaining companion was a powder keg waiting to explode. Wonderful, great just when she wanted to be angry and spiteful she had to be the calm one that got shit done. When could she get her damn answers! When could she get mind and heart together for the stupid powwow it needed to understand. Love, lust, or like what was it?

"This is total bullshit, stupid lil tramps showing up and making me face this before I'm…shit" Asuka eeped. Her attention so deep on her emotional turmoil the German firebrand missed the falling head of Unit-03. It wasn't an attack, not that she could tell, more of a collapse on top of by the new unit. Flinging out of her seat, Asuka's pretty face collided with the wall of her tube with a sick crunch. Rubbing her throbbing forehead, "Get off me damn it!" she yelled into her comm..

Maya's comments over the comm. broadcast Shinji's betrayal of orders. "Asuka, not you too…no more people getting hurt," the lad repeated over and over as he closed the distance. Diving at Unit-03, the mighty destroyer that was Unit-01 collided with its opponent and rolled onto the abandoned fields along the road. "I'm sorry about this, I really am but I can't let…can't…" Shinji held his prog-knife to the head of Unit-03 but hesitated.

"DON'T KILL ME! I don't know how to work this damn thing!" Touji's frantic and pleading voice erupted from the outer speaker. "Damn link broke so I can't talk to you directly! Misato-san sent me to um…tell everybody of the damage I caused back at the test facility. I can hardly make it three steps without falling over and breaking shit," Touji gushed out as the knife was lowered. "Oh and I think I knocked Ayanami out when I fell on her," Touji's nervous voice finally added.

Being helped to her feet by Shinji, followed by Touji, Asuka felt the damn giggles working down her spine. "You're the cause of all this stupid shit? Oh god that just makes my day. Damn angel alarm must be broken," but damn she felt good about that. Did her good to hear nosy and perverted Ayanami took a knock to the head too. "Go get Ayanami, Shinji and…Shinji?" Asuka was shocked to see Unit-01 running back towards the base at speeds she couldn't hope to rival. "Stooge, get Wonder Girl and get back to base," Asuka ordered and followed.

As she ran, a good several miles behind Unit-01's blur, Asuka listened to the chatter as it intensified. "Say again Ibuki, did you say the angel's been detected in the damn Geo-Front?" Asuka did not like having crazy in her ear. When Unit-01 vanished, going faster still, Asuka didn't need to have Maya confirm her little news brief. How was it even possible for the angel to get in the base without anybody knowing?

"Repeat, pilots return to base, pattern blue detected inside the compound. Strike teams are being assembled in case the threat is humanoid in size, repeat all units back to base," Maya was clearly not comfortable acting as operating officer.

Let the mousy flat chick ramble on, Asuka stopped caring. Shinji was going to be stupid again, he was going to repeat the last damn angel at get himself hurt. Well not if she could do anything about it. Love or like, Asuka wanted that fool alive at least long enough for her to know what it was. Faster, faster, FASTER! Before the girl knew it she was on her pad and being lowered into the base.

"Now where would that damn fool be," Asuka asked as she leapt out of her plug dripping in LCL. She knew where he was, but she had to hope he wasn't that damn stupid. Running as fast as her lungs could support, Asuka raced to Ritsuko's lab and that insufferably nice and attractive woman. The armed men she passed were smudges of brown and flesh as she slipped into a runner's high. Shinji was going to run right into danger, blindly and stupidly again. And she did not want to feel that worry and pain again of him being hurt…not again!

Nearing the outer door to Ritsuko's office, Asuka finally slowed, the door was open and she could vaguely hear Shinji's voice. "Stupid…running right into trouble," she panted as she doubled over to breathe better. Gripping the door frame, she looked forward and her hand fell limply to her side. Shinji, weak and frail Shinji, was holding Miharu in his arms like a baby, the girl's head was propped on his shoulder and looked sick.

"Honey I told you not to eat strange things! Didn't I tell you that!" Shinji yelled as he weaved side to side. Petting Miharu's head he shook her like a child. "You promised you'd look before you did after last time," he was almost sobbing. His foot crunched glass vile on the ground that had stains of red on it. Twirling around, walking past Asuka, "Going to get a doctor, Miharu ate something poisonous again."

Weakly, Miharu clutched at Shinji's shoulders, "Sorry, but it looked so tasty. I won't do it again." Miharu then opted to take the standard human reaction to having ingested something that didn't agree with her. Covering Shinji's back and a good portion of the floor with the contents of her stomach, she just closed her eyes and leaned against her provider. "Really mean it this time, Shin-chan, promise," she actually kissed his cheek with her dripping lips.

Dumbfounded, Asuka just watched as Shinji carried the girl off towards the medical wing. He hadn't blanched, showed no concern over, hell he hardly even noticed the girl's sick stuck to his back. He hadn't cared, Miharu's safety was his concern, had Shinji ever cared that much about her though? Asuka fell back against the wall and slide down it. "He had in the volcano, I just never noticed," she hitched twice as her eyes started to burn. She knew, damn it she knew what to feel now.

Twenty minutes later the assault squad besieged Ritsuko's lab and the remnants of the blood sample of unit-03. Somehow the sample got infected by an angel along its flight from America, heaven help them if Unit-03 hadn't been teleported over via Maharu. Asuka listened numbly to Maya's account of things, and the news from Shinji that Miharu was going to be fine after she got over her food poisoning. The girl ate an angel and all she had was an upset stomach, fitting.

X-X

Walking into Gendo's office long after the celebratory party among the workers ended, Kozo had a good buzz going. At his accelerated age, the old professor knew better than to drink very often. But he did like to tie one on whenever an angel was downed, it helped bolster the crews feelings. Just leave it to Gendo to drag him into some stupid meeting after having one to many drinks though.

Crossing the onyx room, keeping safe to not stand on the Sephiroth, the old man saw something he rarely saw. Gendo had his private stash of bourbon out and two shot glasses along with his glasses on the table. "I take it you didn't summon me just to have a drink to celebrate?" Kozo knew better than that. Gendo didn't get along well with others, well people who weren't Yui or totally intimidated by him.

Pouring himself a stiff shot, Gendo tilted his head back and let loose the burning liquid. "Meeting with Seele, and I have you to thank for the problems we now face," Gendo slammed his glass down and hitched forward. Gripping the edge of his desk, the look of mild nausea rippled momentarily across his face. After whatever lost the fight to be expunged he stated, "Or did you think I wouldn't have found your security clearance on Katsuragi's little test yesterday?"

Ah yes, Katsuragi's attempt at hiding a massive undertaking that could have resulted in the destruction of Unit-03. Woman didn't know that the Dead Sea Scrolls prophesized 'the younger brothers' destruction. Well Unit-04 was indeed destroyed by the Sea of Dirac, but damn did they pull a fast one on them. Kozo was pleased, he had wanted to destroy the little scenario after meeting Shinji's wives. Yui wanted her son happy and in a world he could enjoy, well Shinji damn well looked happy so Yui's will be done!

Picking up the bottle, Kozo poured Gendo anther shot, looked at the empty glass, and poured himself one. Gendo wouldn't be trashed and openly emotional if things were going to be pleasant so another drink would be good. "I take it the old men aren't happy with the sudden shift in the scenario? I thought the device would fail, not destroy Unit-03, but still fail. I'm happy to be wrong," Kozo waggled his shot around. Tossing back the liquid it reminded him why he strayed from hard liquor.

Fumbling for the bottle, Gendo's other hand pulled out his other emergency material, that being an adult magazine. "Quite on the contrary my dear old fart," Gendo slammed the magazine on the desk. "Damn Akagi for breaking shit off…she was a nice girl," Gendo slurred before taking another drink. "As I was saying before YOU interrupted, old men want that device tested for offensive and defensive purposes. They're going to replace us," Gendo fell forward in his desk and cradled his head with his hands.

Now that was unexpected, Kozo thought the old bastards would give up or panic, not embrace the alien technology. "What do you mean replace us? Unit-01 is imperative for the completion of the scenario. They NEED us," Kozo suddenly wanted another shot. If those crazed men got it into their heads that Nerv wasn't needed…well unneeded things happened to die very nasty deaths.

Picking up the magazine, Gendo reclined into his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. The bottle sputtered over, but was low it didn't spill a drop. "They didn't say it in words, but you know they never trusted us. They needed us because up until now the angels could only be destroyed by something close to them. Now…now they think they can just shoot the fuckers into the sun," Gendo started flipping through the pages. "Thanks for giving their spy the idea," he spat out as he peeked over the book.

His gnarled and aged hands grasped the neck of the bottle and pulled it right to his lips. Suddenly he wanted to get a lot drunker. His plan, his small act of sabotage had blown up in his face. All he wanted was to give that boy, he suspected Gendo did too or he'd be dead, a shot at life that didn't involve forced evolution. So he introduced chaos to the scripted scenario. Now, well now they had no idea what to expect. "W-what can we do to stop this?" he hated how frail he sounded.

"I see several options before us, not many good," Gendo licked his finger and flipped a page. Nestling the magazine on his legs, on hand went to his crotch as the other worked the pages. "One: we go along with Seele and test the device until they come for us and we try to survive them. Two: We attack them, and keep moving towards our own end knowing it's almost impossible now. Three: We stage a disaster involving the device that makes them question its stability. Or four: we destroy the device and kill all who know how to replicate it," Gendo slowly looked up at the man some might think of as his only friend.

Pouring more booze down his throat, Kozo knew what Gendo was insinuating and wasn't going to acknowledge it. Killing Maharu and Miharu was not an option. But…maybe just maybe they had another alternative. "How about five. We support the device and all your son's wives can create. We throw are full support behind them, and using it we destroy the angels, and overcome whatever assault Seele has in mind for us. We give up on the idea of resurrecting Yui, and be actual heroes and not the villains?" Kozo held the bottle of bourbon out to Gendo.

Gendo reached out for it, stopped and recoiled for a moment as he thought of the repercussions. Slowly the hand pulled back towards his chest, stopped again, and finally grasped the bottle. "You play a strange game," was all he said before taking a drink and shooing the man out of his office to finish what he started.

X-X

Authors Notes

Yeah a bit more serious but then again its hard to be funny when angels are about. But I did what I could. Now you see some of the more important plot elements coming out at you, hope you enjoy.

On a side note, an associate of mine has a new website for web reviews of movies (videos and written) They're pretty good, and I actually foot the bill for some of the more expensive parts. If you're board or interested why not give his stuff a view. Be honest with your criticism of his stuff as he doesn't get much and it would help him improve.

If you can't/don't want to that's fine, just thought I'd try and help him out a bit. You can find it at:

Dtvhell – dot – wordpress – dot- com

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	5. Chapter 5

Standard Disclaimer

And we come full circle again and back to this one. Not many chapters left of this little ditty, but lets see if we can't have some fun with it. Still trying to think of a good fantasy based story to write. Writing in contemporary/semi is fun, but I wanted to mix things up a little. Currently debating a full out Familiar of Zero or something I can write a cross-over with.

X-X

Eva Bravo

Chapter 5 – Success is Bravo

Lying on her bed with the lights off, Asuka just stared up at her ceiling. The damn harpies were telling the truth all along. A planet or moon existed of a ninety to ninety-five percent female population and Shinji had visited it. She couldn't refute them any longer, not with Unit-03's ugly mug being transported from America to Japan in five minutes. On the plus side that meant a lot of nifty new things were going to hit the market, but the negative side was Shinji was going to be rich due to it.

Rolling over onto her stomach Asuka grumbled, "And he'll be moving out with his wives." Damn Misato for siding with those sisters, Asuka bet the woman got a very sizable commission for selling Shinji to them. The worst thing was Asuka had been wrong about Shinji. "So much for being a boring little boy," she muttered. He just needed a little fire under his feet to get moving, and now Asuka saw just how empowered the lad could be. Problem was she liked it, but could only watch now.

A strange sound, almost sounding like somebody crying, slowly started building up outside her door. Rolling off the bed, Asuka pushed herself off the ground. "What the hell is that damn noise?" she was not having a good time. Stupid Shinji, making her realize too late that she cared. Kaji had blinded her to what a real partner should be, and now after having her chance wasted she had to live with that fact. Grabbing the door handle, Asuka yanked it open, "Misato if you're crying about those three…moving…ou-ou-out…the hell?"

Naked as the day they were born, Shinji, Maharu, and Miharu were present in all there glory before the jaw dropped and wide eyed Asuka. Having Maharu bent forward grabbing the couch, Shinji had one hand on her firm rump as he administered is husbandly duties. "Oh sorry about this Asuka, Ma-chan wanted to get one good go in the apartment before we moved out. Won't take more than an hour or two," Shinji casually said without paying the German much attention.

Sitting spread eagle facing Asuka, her body visible under the arch her older sister was making with the couch, Miharu smiled insipidly. "But you said I could too! You spoil Onee-chan to much but not me," Miharu pouted as she wobbled back and forth on the ground. The mighty pink tresses weren't bound up today and flayed to and fro.

"What the hell are you three doing in my apartment? You pervert! How could you…I sit on that couch you bastard!" Asuka raged but couldn't take her eyes away. Falling to the ground, the shock to much for her mind to handle, she was fixated on the rhythmic motion. "Y-you can't do that…here," her words were losing power under the din of Maharu's senseless moaning. Apparently Shinji was very well crafted for making his wives happy, a fact Asuka was unprepared for.

Either not listening or not caring about what Asuka said, Shinji gave his elder wife's rump a firm but playful smack. "You're right, Mi-chan I did promise you some loving too," her reached out for the seated younger wife. Gripping her chin playfully, Shinji stopped his primary attention amid protests from Maharu. "How about you play with Asuka while we finish up here, then I'll see about making you happy too. Alright? You did say that you were interested in her too. Just don't break her like you did Ayanami," Shinji pushed Miharu's nose like a button.

Crawling under the swaying bust of her older sister, Miharu's grin was borderline insane. "He-he, our slave is letting me play with you like I did the other," Miharu's voice was different. It wasn't the bubbly and happy tenor it usually was, no it was dark and controlled. "Silly husband doesn't know that he's under our control now, but he makes us feel…oh…so…good," Miharu groped herself a little as she continued her crawl towards Asuka.

Alternating between Shinji and Miharu, Asuka could see it now! The boy was a slave to his sex drive and the damn sisters were exploiting that and him! "S-stay away from me you…you monster!" Asuka tried to get back to her feet but it was impossible. Her arms wouldn't work, her legs were paralyzed, and in a matter of moments Miharu was hovering above her. Helpless to defend herself from the evil women she pleaded, "W-why? Why are you doing this? Why him?"

For a moment, Miharu reclined back with her finger to her chin in thought. Maharu screamed out in ecstasy as Miharu's perplexed expression shifted to vile contentment. "Well that is why we chose him. You let a real wonder slip out from between your legs. As for why we're doing this, it's simple really. Seiren needs men, Earth has them. Our army's will come soon to take the best of the best and leave you with the remainder. Shin-chan will be our reward for service to the great Mother Nation," Miharu's fingers gently ran across Asuka's cheek. "As for this, I'm randy waiting for my go with our toy," Miharu leaned in to capture the prize.

"I'M NOT MENTALLY PREPARED!" Asuka screamed as she woke up and threw her covers to the four corners of her room. Breathing hard and fast, Asuka gripped at the bedding under her. "A dream…why in all the hells did I dream that?" she panted as she examined herself. No added shame existed, but damn did she feel embarrassed. "It's all their fault, and Misato's. Letting them sleep in the same room," Asuka finally started to calm down as her brain fired up again.

Misato's siding with those women had to be to blame for that stupid dream, and that stupid show of gratitude Shinji had for it. "Who knows what they did last night in that room. Damn bitch had the gall to give us earplugs," Asuka grabbed the aforementioned foam nubs off her nightstand. So what if everything they said was true, Seiren, the technology, and the marriage. That didn't amount to a hill of beans on earth! With her alarm telling her it was a little early for her normal get-up, Asuka switched it off regardless.

"Not like I want to go to sleep again after that," Asuka fumed. Gathering her sheets, she remade her bed and pulled her clothing out for the day. School was likely going to be cancelled for the day due to the angel attack the day before, but she wasn't going to want to be around the apartment all day. "Who knows what they've been up to? I don't want to," the bitterness was thick. Taking a nice morning shower before everybody woke up sounded nice, so the German gathered her bathing articles.

Since Miharu and Maharu moved in, Asuka had been keeping her shampoos and soaps in her room to prevent theft from the other women. Basket of gels in hand, Asuka reached for the door and stalled. "They are NOT shagging out there right now, that was a dream, just a dream," she gritted her teeth and shut her eyes. A moment of doubt stalled her, but eventually she did slowly open the door and peek. The apartment was seemingly quiet at the early hour of Five a.m. but Asuka wasn't taking any chances.

Tiptoeing past Misato's door, Asuka stopped to listen. Snoring and sleep speak was all she heard from the guardian. She looked at Shinji's door, it was shut, but decided not to press her luck on checking. "I do not want so see that," she felt that damn pain in her chest again. Why couldn't she admit to herself what her thoughts and feelings were regarding that damn boy! Even now in face of the truth he was married she couldn't tell. Was he a brother, a friend, or did she want more…she hated herself for her inability to look within.

Resuming her march towards the bathroom and its soothing promise of hot water, Asuka came face to face with her problem. "Shinji?" she gasped but in a show of mental strength only harshly whispered. "What the hell are you doing up? Shouldn't you be playing nursemaid to Miharu?" that's right snide comments and hurtful statements were the way to his heart. Boy hadn't left her side since he picked her up and they got home, why shouldn't she feel jealous…angry at him.

Putting his hand to his chest, Shinji leaned against the bathroom door and sighed. "Asuka! You startled me. Thought you were Misato for a second," he too whispered though at a lower level than his current companion. "Miharu-chan is sleeping soundly. She'll likely be fine when she wakes up too. Yesterday wasn't the first time she ate something that disagreed with her. She bounces back and for a while listens to us when we warn her about eating random things," the relief on his face was palpable.

Something about that expression, Asuka hated it. Caring and loving yet not directed at her. Did she do anything to garner such affection? No, and up until this mess started she would have laughed if anybody said she wanted it. Maybe it was just knowing she missed her chance and she was lashing out like a spoiled child, but at the moment Asuka would have done anything to have Shinji look at her like that. "Well if you don't mind I'd like to take a shower. Can you wait till later? Hell I'm shocked you haven't started cooking breakfast for those women of yours," why couldn't she look him in the eye damn it!

Fidgeting slightly, Shinji turned to the door and back to Asuka. "Actually, would it be alright if w-I went first?" he took a slight nervous tick. Moving to block Asuka's access to the door, Shinji was adamant. "Miharu won't be eating nearly as much today," he started laughing quietly, "So I only have to make a little extra today. But Maharu and I have a bid day planned. I promised Touji I'd be there for his sync tests, and we've a meeting with the head of Donkey Cigarettes."

He wasn't cowing over for her as he used to as well, another sign that the winds of change weren't always pleasant. "I just had a really bad dream, Shinji, and I want a bath to cleanse myself of it. Now you can either get out of my way, or we can keep talking until Misato or your…friends…wake up," Asuka filled her connotation for Miharu and Maharu with as much disdain as possible.

Pressing his back to the door, Shinji stood firm. "You still don't trust them Asuka? After the demonstration yesterday even Misato accepted it. She even let me stop sleeping in the living room. What is it going to take to convince you that they're telling the truth?" he nearly pleaded. His left hand gingerly grasped Asuka's shoulder only to be slapped away hard. Snapping his hand back in pain, "Asuka…is this about what happened before the attack the other day?"

Oh how could she have forgotten that damn mistake of hers! Her hand was still extended from her blow against him, Asuka let her bangs obscure her eyes. "I believe them, Shinji. Does that mean I have to like it?" she said deadpan. "Just because they're with you doesn't mean I have to like them does it?" she hated them. They were prettier than her, Maharu was smarter than her, Miharu was more popular than her, and they shattered her little odd by happy world. Sniffing hard she added, "You never did answer me yesterday. Were Misato and my feelings not enough for you or does the great hero Shinji Ikari demand so much more?"

"What feelings Asuka?" Shinji said honestly. "Until I came back from Seiren what 'feelings' did you and I share? Master and servant? Tolerated and shunned? Or was it something worse than that?" he didn't sound happy or to be reveling in rubbing Asuka's nose thing things. "I won't lie to you and say I felt nothing for you, I did. You were a smart, beautiful, but unapproachable girl. You made it clear from day one you thought nothing of me. Everything was either 'stupid' this or 'pervert' that. Do you know how much it hurts to have those things thrown in your face?" again not asked harshly, but openly and mournful.

He was not going to make this her fault! Asuka couldn't handle that, not now! "Then why didn't you try harder! Where was the damn caring and courage I saw yesterday when you went thundering off to rescue Miharu from her damn stomach? Why didn't…why didn't…" she didn't know what to say. All she knew was she saw something now that she hadn't before, and she wanted it. Her plastic basket of bath articles fell to the ground as she let them slip. "Why did this have to happen?" she finally met his eyes and wish she hadn't. He wasn't gloating or boastful, no, he was concerned and sad. Oh how she had been the fool.

When he put his hands on Asuka's shoulders this time, the boy met no resistance. Bringing her into a light hug he tried to sooth her as best as he could, "I don't know why Asuka, but it happened. Maybe if we had been more honest back then, things would have been different. Now why don't you lay back down for a few and I'll let you know when…when we are done," he bashfully looked at the bathroom door. "I won't fib or hide it, Maharu is waiting for me to wash her back. She had it worse than I did last night, Miharu used her as a body pillow," Shinji released Asuka and ruffled her hair as he stepped back.

For a moment she wanted to smack him, to hit him, or call him names for the audacity of what he just said. But she found the fight was out of her. "We're not done talking about this. But I think I'll take you up on that lay down. And make sure you clean that tub up after or I'll never be able to use it again," Asuka offered a weak smile. It was a meager effort, but the best she could manage. She didn't feel a lot like smiling right now. He was a married man wanting to be with his wife, Asuka couldn't summon enough anger to be angry about it.

Leaving her bottles on the ground, Asuka rounded the hall and waited to hear the door open and close. Sneaking back to the door, Asuka cupped her ear to it to spy on them. Shinji could have fibbed just to get rid of her after all. Such was not the case as Maharu's boisterous voice was easy to hear. Listening to them talk, Asuka was stunned when the topic of her came up. Maharu…the woman who's life she had tried to make miserable, was concerned about her!

They were better women than her, and that was the final nail in the coffin for Asuka. Actually the final nail came after Maharu and Shinji did decide to get in a little husband/wife time, full body blushing Asuka rushed off to her room to try and blank that memory from her mind. "Shinji…I had no idea he could…" she blushed harder and buried her head under the blanket as her imagination played wild with what she heard. They weren't done talking about things yet, but in the early morning Asuka finally started to come to an understanding regarding Shinji. He was going to get an earful, likely a small smack, but things had to change or it would only get worse. Asuka didn't want it worse.

X-X

With his new plugsuit in hand, Touji sat heavily on the bench in front of his issued locker. The tester suit hadn't looked as intimidating as this new black with grey accents piece of clothing straight from his nightmares. But it wasn't as if he wasn't getting something out of the deal. Nerv was giving him a generous paycheck and moved Mari from to a better hospital. All he had to do was endure it until she got well and then he could run screaming into the night and never look back.

Rotating his shoulder, Touji still felt the pain from the odd but successful test of Unit-03. "I don't know how he does it, how any of them do it without screaming," Touji muttered. Taking his shirt off, the jock tossed the wrinkled thing into his locker. Still silent in the changing room, he had to wonder if Shinji had forgotten or was still angry at him. Being sworn to secrecy had been a real bitch, but he HAD tried to bring it up from time to time. Touji just failed to, so if anything it was Shinji's fault for not being a mind reader. "Thing looks like some sadist created it," Touji ripped the plastic wrap off his suit.

Plopping down next to Touji, who jumped and yelped like a little girl, Shinji had one big smile on his face. "You get used to them after a while, but just remember to be careful when pressurizing it. I can't count the number of times…" Shinji just shuttered and fell silent. Putting in the combination to his locker, Shinji playfully punched Touji in the arm. In his most diplomatic tone he said, "I'm not that angry with you anymore. Just wish you would have let me know sooner."

Was Shinji a ninja or was he really that far out of it lately, Touji wouldn't wager on either. Unfolding the latex and plastic horror, Touji held it against his bare chest. "How is this something you get used to? It's like something from those damn videos of Kensuke!" Touji held the suit with one hand and waved his left from its top to bottom. Finding Shinji just smiling at him, the jock felt himself the butt of a joke he didn't understand. Sitting back down, he leaned forward to examine his shoes, "It's not like I didn't try. Never really got the chance, ya know? Hell I tried at Ayanami's but ice bitch chased me out."

Balling up his shirt, Shinji play shot it into his locker and kicked his shoes off. "I asked her why she got so mad, and apparently that box was important to her. I'd apologize when you see her next, but just watch for her right hand. She has one painful slap," Shinji's oddly higher energy was evident in his voice still. Grabbing his own suit from the locker, "And I could have tried pressing the matter with Misato or Maharu more so I'm not exactly free from blame either."

Ok, either Shinji was on drugs or he was replaced with a pod-person, Touji fathomed. While Shinji had been obviously more chipper since getting married, this was a whole new level. Plus if he shifted topics to Shinji, Touji didn't have to confess to how afraid he was and what he was afraid of! "So did they finally put you on happy pills or something? Or is skipping out of school really making you that damn happy, Shin-man?" Touji did like getting out of school. Sitting in orange goo however, well that was a real downer.

Pulling his slacks off, Shinji sat on the bench in his boxers and rubbed his arms. "A/C in this place is always set so low," Shinji commented. But with a shake of his head added, "No pills, I just had a very nice bath this morning. Hadn't had an actual bath in a long time and forgot how enjoyable it was." Something in how he said bath begged further details, but he didn't offer them. Without a mote of care, Shinji pulled off his remaining clothing and started putting his feet into his suit.

His eyes going buggy, Touji accidentally caught a full on view of his best buddy, not what he wanted to do. "Shin-man, know your shame! I don't…don't want to see your schlong!" Touji yelped in a vast showing of maturity. Shinji laughing wasn't what Touji wanted to hear either. Doing a mental comparison to something of his, Touji came to a stark realization. "Is THAT why they married you?" no he wasn't jealous…people grew at different rates right?

Leaning forward into the arm slots, Shinji shifted his weight questioningly. "What are you…oh OH! Sorry about that, didn't mean to flash you," Shinji did in fact blush and shuffle away from Touji on the bench. "I'm just so used to having this side of room to myself that I just forgot about it. The other crew use this place well before we get here or after we leave," he explained. "As for," he nodded downward, "I won't say it was the reason, but…" Shinji's smile came back as his expression shifted to contentment.

If being with a woman you cared for had that much impact on a person, maybe just maybe Touji thought it was time to talk to Hikari. "You've changed, Shin-man, or maybe you were changed," Touji felt proud of his little insight. With more hesitation and fear than Shinji, Touji took off his slacks and undergarments in one swift move. Keeping his body angled away from prying eyes, he stuck his feet into the cool insulated suit and tugged it up to his waist. "Wonder if it will happen to me when I ask her," he sat back down with an audible squish.

Pushing the button on his wrist, Shinji winced as the suit pumped out all the excessive air and formed to his body. "To many happy thoughts," he said to himself but just a little too loud. "And yes, if you ever get around to apologizing to Hokari for what you did maybe you two can be happy together," Shinji admonished. Grabbing the flailing arms of Touji's suit, Shinji steadied them for his struggling friend. Supportively he quipped, "It takes practice to get these things on easily. They move on their own an awful lot."

Feeling a smidge mocked, Touji shoved his arms in and yanked himself away from Shinji. "I can do it myself man! Just, just give me a couple minutes next time before manhandling me. I am NOT Miharu," Touji's shame was a little high at the moment. He wasn't used to Shinji being superior to him in things, it was new to him. But when it came to piloting, Touji was the rookie and Shinji was the grizzled veteran. Not that either played the part well. "And what do I have to apologize to the class rep for?" his classic defense kicked in despite his previous comments.

Folding his clothing in his locker, Shinji just stopped to give Touji a glare his father would have been proud of. "Touji, do you not realize how close to death or injury you were yesterday?" Shinji nearly shouted. Slamming his locker closed, another change in Shinji's persona could be seen. A protective nature bubbled forth, "The thing Miharu got sick eating came from the plane your Eva was supposed to have been on! Had we not teleported it over, Unit-03 might have been corrupted too. What do you think would have happened then?"

Standing up, Touji back peddled to the wall, his face white as chalk. "I-I-I didn't…it was?" his mind made a few logical leaps and landed in terrified territory. What would have happened if that giant beast of his had been infected? Nothing good he'd have guessed, but what if he had been in it at the time? Falling to his knees as the fear of how precarious his situation was, all Touji saw was Shinji's knowing face. "Yeah I guess I do owe her an apology. I might…might have died. Not something I'm used to thinking about," he admitted.

Helping Touji to his feet, Shinji acted on some sinister impulse and hit Touji's pressurization button. When Touji didn't yelp or squirm, Shinji pouted, "Guess the fixed that issue with your suit." His eyes going south on his own suit, the lower extremities of the two suits did look different. Patting Touji on the back, "And as long as you realize that now I'll forgive you. Just don't, don't do it again alright? Be careful out there and trust us to help you. When we act on our own it's not good."

"Didn't you find those women of yours by running off halfcocked?" Touji couldn't help but chide. Having the nervousness of hitting that button taken from him, the jock was glad Shinji did it for him. "But I don't think I want to be eaten as the Devil said you were, beautiful woman aside," Touji headed out of the changing room towards the test area. "How long do these things last, oh thanks for coming by the way," it meant a lot to have somebody that wouldn't mock him there.

With a shrug, Shinji tossed Touji one of the towels he grabbed as he left the changing room. "Depends really. Some days it takes an hour, but others it can take a lot longer. One time we had an emergency and were shot out into the lake. That was a bad day," Shinji shuddered as some memory rippled gooseflesh across his body. "But today will just be to get a few base readings I bet, and I have a meeting to get to around noon with Maharu," Shinji's tone for Maharu was filled with near reverence.

It struck Touji that he had yet to actually see Shinji's other wife. He had seen a wide number of beauties at Nerv though. The mousy Ibuki girl was good if he liked the boyish look, that blond was smoking hot if not cold looking, the always mentally teasing Misato, and the new beauty and woman of his dreams…the red head from the test the other day. That woman didn't talk to him directly, occupied with something else, but man her figure was bombastic, her face was divine, and oh man the rack was impossible!

Passing by some of the cream colored suits of the techs, Touji scratched at his nose. "Oh hey, Shin-man. Got a question for you, you know the women that work here by name right?" he had to know the woman's name! It was just a dream, but a man could dream couldn't he? Hikari was the girl he had his heart set on, but his loins…well they knew no master. Teenage lust knew no bounds, and if porn taught him anything he could hope that the redhead was all about casual intimacy with younger guys. Unable to keep his eyes from shifting back to Shinji and the boy's rod of destruction… "Good thing you're married," he said under his breath.

Moving from Touji's left to his right, to be closer to the wall, Shinji's anti-social behavior wasn't quite cured yet. "I know some of them, mostly the command staff. Ibuki-san and Ritsuko-san are the only two that come to mind. The rest," he shrugged. Finding the wall an interesting thing to look at as a pair of unknown women waved at the young men as they walked past on their way, Shinji had a long way to go before he was a social butterfly.

Following Shinji to the lab, his feet felt odd against the ground as the suit didn't do much to offer firm protection, Touji felt a swath of pride. He knew a beauty at Nerv that even the pilot with 'the highest kill count' didn't know of. Man that did his ego a surge, "Well that sucks, because I was going to ask her name if you knew it." Roping Shinji in closer with his arm, Touji whispered in the tone of perverted loneliness, "I saw a damn beaut the other day. Her body was impossible I tell you, im-pos-ible! Though your wife might get to this girl's proportions someday," Touji was jealous to realize.

The earlier showing of overt positivity was draining from the young Ikari. "O-oh really? That is s-something Touji," lad didn't sound too convinced. "Anyway you have Hokari-san to worry about so this other woman shouldn't be that important to you, right?" his plead was obvious. Breaking out of Touji's hold, Shinji turned to the door to the lab and put his hand against it.

As Shinji opened the path for him, Touji's words died on his lips. He was going to say 'yeah I like Hikari, but a man wants experience before he settles down' Touji would soon learn how lucky he was he hadn't. It was her! The girl, no the nymph from the other lab! His very own bronze skinned and red headed goddess! Nudging Shinji in the ribs lightly, his hoarse whisper was all most sad, "Dude it's here! The girl I was telling you about! You think she came to see me? Like my own personal scientist or something?" that would have been the second best sign-on bonus after Mari's care.

With a knowing but sad look, Shinji just shook his head before ruining Touji's blossoming fantasies. "Maharu-chan, I thought you were going to keep watch over Miharu today?" Shinji broke from Touji and kissed Maharu's cheek. Waving at Ritsuko, "Morning Ritsuko-san, I thought I'd test with Touji today to help him relax after yesterday." Spinning around to face Touji, Maharu's hands going to his hip and shoulder, Shinji shrugged weakly.

She was…his goddess was Shinji's other wife? Oh the damn unfairness of it all! "You have a lot of explaining to do Shin-man, on hell of a lot of explaining," Touji grumbled as he walked past the lucky bastard. "And I don't know why a bath makes you so happy when you can wake up next to that. I'd be that damn happy every morning," he climbed into the open test pod.

Maharu ruined Touji's mood even more as she quipped, "It's not the bath but the person you're bathing with." Her hugging Shinji gave everybody else in the room, Ritsuko, Maya, and Shigeru, the same impression it did Touji. The jealousy level in the room shot through the roof. Despite the unparalleled hate being shot at the two of them, Maharu showed not a care in the world for it. "As for your darling Miharu, that charming little Ayanami girl stopped over after you left and asked if she could. Well Miharu has taken such a shine to her I thought I'd let the two of them play house while you and I have our meeting," Maharu showed no shame at all in her open flirtation.

"Lucky bastard, maybe I will run into the next angel if it means I might make out like he did," Touji grumbled as his tube filled with LCL. Hikari's face appearing in his mind, sad at his death or injury, made him change his mind. "Fine, let him have those two, I'll have my own," he gripped his stirrups and closed his eyes. Looks weren't everything, and it wasn't as if Hikari wasn't unattractive. She was downright adorable when she wanted to be… Yeah…YEAH! Hikari banzai!

X-X

Pain was the first thing that crested Misato's thought processes when she opened her eyes. Something was pecking at her arm, due to the lack of windows in her room, Misato had to use the light of her alarm clock to see the soon to be chucked creature. "Pen-Pen what did I tell you about sneaking into my room?" she reminded the flightless bird. Releasing the penguin she warned, "Next time I'm not going to guarantee your safety."

Sitting up in her futon, the tired woman scratched at her exposed midsection. "Only twelve-thirty? I have so much more time to sleep," she yawned and flopped back down. Damn headache had gone away, but she was going to have words with that new damn pilot about crashing into things. Thankful he had only broken a few things, Misato also had a lot to be thankful for that Shinji had taken so much quicker to Unit-01 than Touji to Unit-03.

"Rei-chan how about we make some food?" Miharu's voice wafted through Misato's shut door. "Shin-chan left us all sorts of food to eat, but made us promise not to eat Katsuragi-san's…but it looks tasty too," the bottomless pit decreed.

Forcing her weary body back to a seated position, Misato grabbed her clock and focused real hard on it. "That one light for PM is lit up…it's the afternoon?" Misato tilted her head as a creeping suspicion rose. Ayanami wouldn't be at the apartment at night, Shinji wouldn't be gone either. So if she added everything up, that would mean…

Reaching around her, Misato found the bottle of tequila she had pounded the night before. Ah memory, it was a two faced bitch goddess. The lovely booze lightened the blow of the fact that Shinji and his wives were now sharing a room. A man and a woman in the same room at night after being forced apart for so long would likely equate to…

A familiar lurch in her stomach, accompanied by the image of her boy having his way with the lovely Miharu and Maharu, forced Misato to her feet rather quickly. Flinging the door open, the afternoon sun burning searing pain into her unprepared eyes, Misato launched herself towards the bathroom and the porcelain throne. Barely making it in time, Misato was vaguely aware of having bowled somebody over, she proceeded to empty the contents of her late night snacks into the bowel.

"Tequila, my true enemy, how I love and hate you," Misato quoted as she washed her face clean of any remnants. On shaky legs, and a tender tummy, she exited the room she just destroyed to find two girls left in her apartment. "Sorry bout that, girls," she found both sitting dazed on the ground, guess she got a two for one shot. "Had a little too much celebration after the angel's defeat," she stepped past the girls and headed for the kitchen. Knowing Shinji as she did, Misato fully expected and found a waiting light meal and coffee. "Boy is far too good for me," she smiled as she put the tray in the microwave.

Joining Misato at the table, Rei sat across from the woman as impassive as ever. "According to what Miharu states, that would be a factual statement," her deadpan recital did not match her current state of dress however.

Rubbing her eyes, Misato was sure she was seeing things and not things that normally existed. Pointing at Rei's face, "You're wearing make-up." Ok, she drank way to much the night before and it officially rotted her brain. Ayanami Rei, the girl with absolutely no taste in clothing, society, or life in general was wearing an oddly fitting black dress and light blue eyeliner and ruby red lipstick. "I need to stop drinking. You look like you've developed a sense of style," she downed the coffee in one gulp as the microwave dinged.

Bringing Misato her tray of food, eggs and toast with a side of fish, Miharu beamed a thousand watt smile. "Isn't Rei-chan just the cutest thing ever?" the pink haired happy monster hugged Rei as she sat next to her. "And she thought she would look bad. Onee-sama even suggested the color," Miharu poked Rei's cheek lightly.

Taking a savage bite out of her bread, Misato started to realize that what she was seeing was reality and not some odd booze induced hallucination. "Wow, Ayanami, you do look good," she was just a little too boisterous. But the damn shock of it all was amazing! Ayanami Rei looked like a little beauty in the gothic Lolita style, Miharu didn't pull off the same effect in her matching dress though. Damn girl looked like a super model in a dress two sizes to small in the chest. "Shouldn't you be in school though?" she asked as she spat crumbs.

Dusting her face off of Misato's generous contribution to her new look, Rei's complexion reddened a smidge. "Maharu-kun thought it would be acceptable for me to insure Miharu-kun's convalescence went unimpeded. As Miharu-kun awoke with no signs of the food poisoning but still required a day of rest, we have been…" Rei's nose wiggled in a unique showing of confusion. Unfamiliar with the words or how to express them, the girl just turned to her compatriot.

Stealing a piece of egg off Misato's plate, Miharu had it in her mouth before anybody could stop her. "Rei-chan and I have been playing all morning! First it was Asuka-san's games, then we watched some television, and that got me thinking Rei-chan could look like the girls on the box!" Miharu beamed. Bipping and bopping in her seat, Miharu was the picture of confidence. "Onee-chan and Shin-chan were so right about her, I'm glad you agree Misato-chan!" Miharu stole another piece of egg.

Stabbing the table with her chopsticks, Misato defended her besieged late breakfast. "I'm sure he left you snacks, Miharu, go eat them and leave my breakfast alone," Misato shooed the girl away from the table. Keeping her eyes on Ayanami, Misato listened as Miharu dutifully went on the hunt for food. "So Shinji-kun's told you that you look good in that dress huh? Anything else going on between you and the married man?" she teased relentlessly. Shinji would be faithful, Misato hoped anyway, so nothing she said could be accurate…right?

Adding more fuel to Misato's fears of having the DT's, Rei's cheeks went just a hue deeper. "Ikari-kun said I was beautiful in it," her voice was nary above a whisper. Fidgeting in her chair, Rei's eyes did not keep stable on her target as they used to. "As for events occurring between the Ikari family and myself…I am doing nothing that has not been agreed upon by all notified parties," Rei practiced her lawyerese.

Sniffing the empty coffee cup and then her food, Misato was sure it had to be spiked with something. Shinji officially lost it and was drugging her to have his nefarious way with her, Maharu was going to tape it and show the world later. Yup, that was it. So if she was officially drugged, might as well have fun with it and enjoy the pretty colors. "Well Ayanami, if everybody agrees then, why don't you just spend the night with them too? I'm sure now that they're all in the same room, hell soon to move out, that they'll make room for you," drug induced visions were fun!

Grabbing Rei's chest, Miharu fondled the girl as her sister had done her in ages past to show affection. "See Rei-chan, even Misato-chan agrees! And you thought I was being silly! On Seiren its normal for girl's to be in large groups with the man they love," Miharu rubbed her cheek against Rei's much to the albino's confusion.

If she wasn't positive she was seeing some dream vision of insanity, Misato would have started laughing so hard she'd split her lung. "That's right Ayanami. If he's got two wives I don't see why he couldn't have a third. And I always thought he had a soft spot for you. I teased him about you so hard at times his face nearly burst," Misato chuckled as a good memory came to mind. Good ol' Shinji just was so innocent when it came to women, so fun to tease.

"He, he does?" Rei had an incredulousness about her, "It would be appropriate by earth standards?" Rei actually turned to Miharu with a thin smile. "I was ordered to infiltrate your coven to learn if you were harboring secrets or lies. Yesterday proved that to be false. My mission is over, but if…if you think I would be accepted," Rei's voice hitched.

Leaving Miharu to smother the emotional Rei with love and support, Misato headed for the ringing phone. "Ah, this is going to be a great dream to tell everybody about. Just think, Ayanami Rei ordered to get some nookie from Shinji and his wives. Man, even the commander isn't that strange," she wondered when she'd wake up. Lifting the phone to her ear, "Hello Katsuragi residence. Currently drugged and hallucinating Misato speaking."

"Misato-san are you alright?" a very worried Shinji Ikari asked over the line. "Is Miharu-chan awake yet? We left Ayanami to look after her since they've been getting along so well," he added.

Jumping up on the stand by the phone, Misato wondered if she shouldn't take this dream to the next level. "Why of course they're alright Shin-chan! Your dear Ayanami just asked your wife if she could join the three of you. Miharu happily accepted. And since this is a dream I'll just come out and say I will do anything to you that you want to insure that you don't leave me for Seiren. You're basically my son, but I will do what it takes to keep you here," she cooed sexily over the line.

A long pause ensued, and when it was broken it wasn't Shinji talking anymore. Miharu's agitated voice cried, "What did you say to Danna-sama! He's fainted! And what is this about Ayanami and my sister?"

Stretching her mouth open big and wide, Misato picked at some dry skin around the lip. "Oh nothing other than I'm willing to do whatever I need to keep him on earth and not abducted by you sirens, no pun intended. OH and that your sister is smitten by Ayanami to the point of wanting her to join the fun of the marriage bed," she was so ready to wake up now. Strange dream aside, it felt so strange to tell Shinji that even if it was all fake.

"I knew she would in time, Miharu just has to big a heart," Maharu sounded irked. "Well I need to tend to Danna-sama before our meeting. He wanted to call and make sure both of you were alright, I'll take this as a big resounding yes," the line went dead the very next second.

Setting the phone on the cradle, Misato jumped off the table and stubbed her toe against the ground. "Ouch!" she winced, "I didn't know you could feel pain in dreams…wait." All her warm fuzzies turned to cold pricklies in the span of a single breath. The skies parted and divine realization washed over her fully conscious brain, "What the hell did I just do?"

Pen-Pen didn't answer, he was to busy sleeping in Misato's bed dreaming of his harem of five birds bringing him a plate of sardines.

X-X

It had been a long and odd day, but Shinji wasn't complaining about it. Well that phone call to Misato had caused a mental derailment, but Maharu cleared it up for him. Misato wasn't offering herself to him to keep him around, it was more Misato was way past drunk and her brain didn't go up to the top floor. After a nice long chat, Shinji stopped panicking and started to see things from Misato's point of view. The woman feared he was going to leave her forever and was trying to prevent that, Shinji had no desire for it and would ease the woman's conscious when they returned home.

The meeting with the representative from Donkey had gone well…ish. They were close to finalizing a deal that would make Shinji more money than he thought one family should own, but he just hated the way the bastard was eyeing his wife. The American, C.G.B. Spender he said his name was, was an older man, maybe in his late fifties or early sixties, but he was spry enough to ogle his wife at every turn. In the end they had the contract if they wanted to sign with Donkey, Shinji wasn't to sure.

The encounter left Shinji with a stark realization. His wife, scratch that, his wives' were very attractive and many men would be attracted to them. He hadn't fully considered that fact when they first arrived back on Earth, now it was thrown in his face at nearly every turn. They wouldn't cheat on him, nor he they, but it was aggravating none the less. A new classic example was being demonstrated before him now at the restaurant Maharu wanted to try.

It was an fancy western place, suits and ties and high prices abound, but Maharu got seated instantly upon talking to the matradee. Of course the man thought he was Maharu's child, not her husband. Every man at the damn place that wasn't bound by a ring around their finger, and some that did, were watching and sending free drinks. While it was nice to not have to pay, it was infuriating to know most of those men had ulterior motives.

Holding out her wine glass, Maharu waited for Shinji to reciprocate, "To a very sound financial investment, Danna." She clinked her glass against Shinji's glass of water, they wouldn't serve minors regardless of price. "Food here does smell excellent, lets see how it tastes shall we?" she was equally proficient with a knife and fork as with chopsticks. Deftly cutting into her medium-rare steak, Maharu eyes sealed as she savored the flavor.

Opting for the less opulent meal of salmon, Shinji ate at a much more leisurely pace. "I still don't know if we should sign with that company. I still think we should open our own. I don't like the idea of your ideas being used and exploited by others," Shinji put the first piece of fish in his mouth. It was good, not great, but better than a standard restaurant. He had agreed to the early supper more to spend some private time with Maharu anyway.

With all the work she had been doing with Misato regarding Unit-03's activation, Shinji hardly got to see his elder wife over the last few days. Adding to the fact of their intimacy that morning, well Shinji was a very dutiful husband. As he watched her wash down half the steak with another free glass of wine, he did remember that Maharu had a stomach to match Miharu's. Not that the older sister wanted anybody to know that. From the foot caressing his thigh, Shinji knew Maharu was just as happy with him as he was her.

The footsy under the table being ignored, Maharu reached across the table and pinched Shinji's cheek. "Danna-chan you're too good to us, but I like to think we make back a large portion of that," she let her 'large portion' rest on the table mockingly. Over the few coital pairings they had, Maharu had learned her assets had a powerful effect on Shinji's willpower. Clearing her pallet with a white wine she did talk shop, "As for our own business it is tempting. But we would need a few more people on staff than just us. Legal matters in this country are so backwards compared to home."

With the plan of Shinji being the name, Miharu being the face, and Maharu being the brains of the outfit all agreed upon, the trio lacked one important piece. A lawyer or somebody well skilled in the craft was needed to avoid all those nasty attempts at legal manipulation and bad contracts. "We could hire somebody? Start off small and local with our new type of cigarette and build up from there," he wasn't sounding to sure.

Daintily exiting her chair, Maharu shrugged as she rounded the small table to Shinji's side. Winking at all of the men who were mesmerized by her looks, Maharu ruined there day by kissing Shinji full on the lips. Not a simply peck, but a full soul searching nearly indecent exposure kiss. They weren't happy, but they were. "I need to use the little girl's room, Danna-sama. We'll talk about this when I get back, if we must," she didn't sound like it interested her.

His cheeks ablaze with a mixture of embarrassment and longing, Shinji found the angry glares a minor issue. Leave it to Maharu to put those shallow people in there places with a minimal effort. "I just hope we can get this whole business started without to much hassle," and more chats with horny old men, that would be great. He had enough to worry about without the fear of some business meeting turning bad due to a drugged glass of wine or to much booze. Asuka still had to be talked to, the Ayanami/Miharu debate was still on the holding pattern, and those pesky angels were still trying to kill them. Full plate of worries didn't need to dessert of other men wanting his wives.

Taking up Maharu's empty yet still warm seat, a strikingly attractive woman in formal business attire sat down. Her black hair was short for a woman, cropping down around her chin, matched her black eyes perfectly. Extending her hand across the table, "Ikari Shinji, hello I'm Ikutski Noihara with Morly Tobacco." Her tone and body language spoke of somebody of learning yet had just enough flirtation to hint she wasn't here just to talk.

His latent fear of confrontation kicked in instantly as he shook the woman's hand. Another tobacco company wanted to try and steal the deal before it was made. Not a man this time aiming at Maharu, it was a woman that knew not only his name but his face. Would she try the same tactic Spender did? Shaking the woman's very warm hand, "What can I do for you Noihara-san?" He would be pleasant, but he was hoping Maharu came in for the rescue before the woman rushed him into anything.

"Sorry for interrupting your meal, but I couldn't help but notice you from the bar," she shook her glass of unknown content at him. Her olive complexion was accented by faint traces of makeup to give her natural beauty just one more extra push. Not on Misato's level of beauty, Ikutski was still something Touji and Kensuke would have drooled over. Taking a sip, her eyes drawing to slits over the glass, she winked playfully. "My company has been very eager to talk to you. We heard rumors that you were in conversations with Donkey regarding a new form of cigarette," she didn't let loose to much information.

Just how important were these simple things to earth! Shinji was amazed at just how much fighting was going on over them. Easy to make, tasty to use, and with only positive side effects though, Shinji had to admit it was a far change from the tobacco toxins. "News travels fast doesn't it? N-now I'm not the inventor really, m-my wife is. You should-should talk to her and not me really," he sputtered as an unfamiliar leg rubbed up his. He didn't want to make a scene and call her out, he just looked back at the bathroom. This woman, she had to know that he did have final authority over the product due to patent laws…this was dangerous.

Leaning back in her borrowed chair, Noihara's unbuttoned suit jacket opened to reveal the white undershirt behind it, the top two buttons undone. "Ah yes, Maharu Ikari, I was thinking we could think beyond her, Ikari-san. As a pilot we could use not only your name but your product to gain far more money. And if you sign with us…my…my employer has told me to inform you that you'd have some very," she stopped talking, suddenly uncomfortable with what she had been scripted to say.

Leaning against the poor temptresses back, Maharu wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. "You were ordered to give yourself to my husband to insure he signed with you, weren't you honey?" Maharu almost sounded sad. "I'm starting to think Seiren is better off with our lower male population. Women get treated like objects here," she pouted.

"Maharu-chan!" Shinji exclaimed his happiness to see her a little too exuberantly. "I-I think you might be right. Noihara-san, I don't think that this is going to work out. We're not even sure we want to sell the rights now. We're considering hiring a lawyer to do this ourselves," he was always more confident with Miharu or Maharu around. "Now if you'd excuse us…we'd like to finish supper?" he paused at how the woman reacted to the rejection.

Curling around the woman's side, Maharu examined her closely. Clicking her fingers, a server instantly at her summons, "Get my friend here a table. She'll be joining us for the remainder of the meal." Waiting for the chair, Maharu took the extra one and slid her food over to it, being closer to Shinji was preferable for her anyway. "You're going to be fired for not securing the deal aren't you? Deniability. You come on to my husband and he accepts you, your company gets what it wants. You fail and he can expose your tactic and well…that can't look good for anybody," she shrugged.

Shinji nearly erupted in anger when the woman didn't speak but did nod. "That's not fair! All you're doing is what you were ordered too! And s-sorry you are attractive but I've enough already," Shinji yelped as Maharu's hand rubbed his inner thigh in retaliation. "Is there anything we can do, short of signing with your company?" he was more convinced that any company would be to corrupt for his liking.

"Y-you said you needed a lawyer?" the woman's features were starting to lighten up. "I-I've a law degree. Not the best out there, but I can learn, I would learn everything you needed," she was talking more to Maharu at this point than Shinji. It was clear who the person in power was, and it wasn't the husband. No the husband was to kind and meek to be in power, anybody watching them interact could tell that.

Scratching Shinji under his chin Maharu let out a mighty laugh, "You were right Danna-sama! This is the way to go! Let's celebrate! Waiter bring me another steak and whatever this woman wants!" Maharu was well into celebration mode, and nothing was going to knock her out of it.

From at her side, Shinji was content to let her have her moment. As the food came, the women talked of business and what they'd do to get started. Eventually due to food and drink, Maharu started teasing her husband more and more and eventually…well they bid Noihara goodnight as they retired to more private quarters for a second helping of the breakfast they shared. It was a very good day for the young Ikari.

X-X

Being the bearer of bad news was not what Kaji liked to do, but today he didn't have much choice. Hacked documents and stolen surveillance photos did not bode well for Nerv or any of its employees. On top of all his worries, the illustrious Gendo Ikari had down right pointed out Kaji's duplicitous nature, but did not kill him. That was a nice thing, being alive, but now being forced to spy on the JSSDF's attack force was on the opposite spectrum.

Waving at Misato as the haggard woman dragged herself across Gendo's office, Kaji was hit with a wave of fear. Not fear for himself, but fear for Misato's life. "Evening Katsuragi, did I interrupt your beauty sleep?" he wouldn't worry her early. When it was just his life on the line he didn't want to get attached in case he died, but now that he was exposed it was different. "You might want to take a seat, going to be a dozy of a chat we're going to be having," he gestured to one of two chairs, Ritsuko sitting in one.

"You weren't drinking all day were you? I told you that you needed to rest not party!" the good doctor reprimanded. Sniffing the air about Misato, Ritsuko's eyes widened as she sucked in her lips. Incredulously, "I don't smell a drop on you, but you look like something my cats drug in."

Pale and trembling, Misato grabbed at the sides of Ritsuko's lab coat she whimpered, "The horror…the horror." Just as quickly as she latched onto Ritsuko, Misato released the woman and sat with her hands on her lap. "All in my head. I know everything was in my head. But I couldn't help it. Everything Miharu said…I could see so much deeper meaning," Misato's head shook back and forth on a seeming broken joint.

Pushing his glasses back up, Gendo pushed two manila folders across his desk. "Katsuragi, enough of this business regarding Ayanami and her new keepers," the gruff man almost came off as bearing a hint of sadness. Despite the odd glances his comment garnered, Gendo went on without adding anything else about it, "The former informant for the JSSDF, Ryoji, has more pressing matters than who is sleeping with who."

"You can't say his name even now can you?" Kaji couldn't help but jib the man. Gendo had changed, Kaji couldn't help but notice. The man's gloved hand was replaced with surgical gauze, whatever happened to Adam, Kaji wanted to know. Could the bastard king of Tokyo-3 be turning over a new leaf? Kaji hoped so. "If you are up for some very bad news feel free to look over the images I was given. As for my, um, previous contacts you'll find a write up in the back," he just hoped Misato wouldn't hate him for not being totally truthful.

Kozo cleared his throat after giving Gendo a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "She'll be better off with them than our original plans," he comforted his old companion. Pulling out the first of the photos, the sly Second in command switched personalities instantly. The peaceful old man was replaced with sternness. "This is a photo of half of what we can be expecting to attack us soon," he held up the image. It was of five large Eva sized mech's with oversized heads with large mouths adorned with comical red lips.

"The mass production units? I thought they weren't complete yet, and we haven't even fully tested the dummy plug!" Ritsuko gasped at the picture. "Why would we be attacked by these ugly things anyway? Aren't we on the same side?" she set the image of the monstrosities down.

Being the spy meant a lot of things, but most of them were far from glamorous. Right now was one of the worse parts, ruining preconceptions and hopes with hard facts. "The UN is being duped by SEELE, Misato you'll see who they are in detail," he explained. Misato, the woman he cherished above all others, was the most in the dark person in the room. "Luckily only five of the mass production units are combat ready. But they aren't the only concern. Look at the orders on page seven," Kaji felt sickened by the news.

Answering for the shocked masses, Gendo was still a pillar of composure. "These are orders to attack and kill all Nerv personnel. With the sole exemption being the Third pilot, who is to be captured and imprisoned, nobody is to be spared. Unit-01 and its pilot are to be held in stasis until the angels are disposed of using the alien technology. At which time SEELE will bring about Third Impact using the captured two as its catalyst," Gendo never faulted in his description.

The file fell from her hands as she stood up, but Misato did not look rattled. The woman whole body radiated with anger and drive. "Well what are we sitting around here gabbing for then? We have shit to do and I intend to do it! I didn't sit through Miharu and Ayanami playing mind games with me for hours just to let them die! Ritsuko!" Misato bellowed as she headed for the door.

Jumping to her feet, mostly due to the shock in Misato's drastic change in fixation, yelped, "Y-Yes!" Nearly knocking over her chair, the bottle blond was caught by Kaji before she face planted.

"Bring in the other wife and the husband if you have to, likely they're at a hotel," Misato's official nature had overwritten her party girl persona. "You're to begin equipping the Eva's with this water gate technology as well as all entrances and exits to Nerv. We can use those gates defensively if applied correctly. And knowing the attack is coming gives us time to prepare!" she was already out of the office, her shrill commands nearly inaudible reverberated back into the office from the command deck.

Letting out a shrill whistle, Kaji counted himself lucky not to be facing her in battle. "Woman is scary when she is focused. And nothing gets a mother's attention more than her child being put in harms way," Kaji started following Misato out of the office. "I'll see if I can't pinpoint the exact day and time of the attack. You see to keeping Misato from storming the strike force herself with her pistol," and he bet she would if she thought she'd do some good with it.

Standing up, his chair screeching loudly against the onyx tiled floor, Gendo slammed his palms against the imposing desk. "Ryoji," his single word was filled with equal parts dread, threat, and menace.

"I'll insure she lives sir, and I won't tell anybody else about what I found in the basement. If it is taken care of," Kaji knew the threat against him. He had seen the red-cross and what was on it, saw the room of genetic wonder, mystery, and budding teenage boy fantasy. Kaji was a spy, he was lucky Gendo didn't outright kill him, and the man was giving him a chance to live.

Walking out of the office, Ritsuko, he noticed not following, Kaji saw a whirlwind of activity. Misato was busy getting things ready, woman really was suited for her job he appreciated. "Well let's hope she doesn't walk in on anything she isn't ready to see," Kaji joked as he found Misato throwing her jacket on. It was going to be live or die for all of them soon, and while he wanted to blame the alien women it was likely due to them that they'd survive. "Find Shinji-kun?" he asked while knowing full well based on Misato's facial expression.

"Shigeru got a hit on Shinji's phone, I'm heading to the restaurant now to get him. You're coming with me to fill me in on all you've been keeping from me," Misato grabbed the man and started dragging. It wasn't a request it was a demand. Her adamant insistence of data was met openly by Kaji where he told her all she wanted to know. And when they got to the upper class restaurant, stormed in and made a mess of things, the pair found Shinji and his wife in one of the upper suites. Misato fainted.

All Kaji could say was, "Nice."

X-X

Authors notes

Yeah its coming down to the end here. This was more of a comedy chapter to balance out the previous chapters more serious tone. Hope ya enjoyed it.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	6. Chapter 6

Standard Disclaimer

This very well might be the last chapter. Don't know yet if I'll need to split it in two or not, but from my view point at the start this is it. I hate long/drawn out endings and stories that just keep going when I feel they don't need to be. What We went on for far to long…Gift was right about perfect. This was a little idea I had in my head for a long time, so we'll see

X-X

Eva Bravo

Chapter – 6 Understanding is Bravo

Watching the monitor showing the Geo-Front, Misato bit her lower lip hard. Three days' worth of preparing, that was all the time fate had given them. The attack was coming sometime in the next twelve hours, and if they failed well at least humanity wasn't doomed. The vexed woman slapped her forehead as Unit-03 fell on its face again.

Turning on the comm. "Shinji-kun, pull Suzuhara-kun back up and try and…try and fix the hole he just made," her displeasure was quite obvious. After several days of watching the pilot of Unit-03 still fail to keep his balance, Misato felt Shinji deserved even more credit. "If we had that other boy when the first angel attacked we'd all be dead right now," Misato was nice enough to not broadcast that outside of the command box.

"That boy was not expected to pilot beyond his initial sortie," Gendo pushed his glasses up. Handing out additional clips of ammunition to the skeleton crew, Gendo was making the rounds. Holding his still damaged hand out for all to see, "Seele wanted to test the Dummy plug, at the time we created the scenario I thought it best. The Third Child wouldn't be able to fight his comrades, so present a scenario where he had to and would fail. This event however was to take place later, but the time table was disrupted," Gendo handed Maharu a firearm.

Sliding the magazine into the grip, Misato loaded the chamber while pointing the barrel at the commander. "You were going to make your son attack and possibly kill his friend?" she could hardly believe it. A lot of facts were coming to light about her place of work, most of them horrifying, even more regarding her boss. Holstering her sidearm she turned to Maharu, "Room on your planet for me?"

Holding the offered weapon with her thumb and forefinger, Maharu was disgusted by it. Dropping it on the desk, "As much as I love Seiren, I think Danna-sama and we are going to stay here. After we clean this place up it might just be livable." Turning back to her work, beads of sweat dribbling down her face, she and her compatriot feverously worked on their stations. Drawling out, "And…done! Just wish we had more time to test and to make more crystals."

Reading the displays from behind Ritsuko and Maharu's backs, Misato chewed on her thumb nail. It was good, but Misato wanted impervious. Her family was on the line here, and nothing short of perfection would make her rest easy. "Well if we had more time we'd do it, but that is the one thing we don't have," she patted Maharu's shoulder. Pointing at the layout, "So you got the two lynch points like I asked right? All attacking forces will have to pass through those two points."

"I have to give you credit, Katsuragi, it is quite devious," Ritsuko deemed Misato smile worthy. Leaning back in her chair, Ritsuko pulled out a joint and popped it into her mouth. Lighting up without a care in the world, "You get them to see each other after breaking in. If they fire they hurt themselves, and they are effectively blocked from getting in via our standard entryways."

But they could take the vents, they could find the generators and blow up the water crystals. So many variables that Misato hated. However they had to do it, they were going to broadcast the attack over public channels and force the attack be halted. So they had to be attacked to draw Seele into the open and vulnerable. Of if things got bad they could just portal out of the base, but the pilots weren't so safe.

"So much is left to chance though. What if they hack the MAGI so we can't get our signal out? What if we can't get them to call off the assault…" Misato vented. Dragging her fingers through her hair, clawing into her scalp, the tension was getting the better of her. "We never got to test those defense systems you put on Unit-01 and Unit-02. They could fail, or backfire or…" Misato stopped when she saw Maharu's shoulders slump and the woman head dipped down.

Quickly getting out of her seat, Maharu kept her face pointed away from everybody. "I'm going to go check on my sister and her little girlfriend," the woman's voice sounded close to breaking. Bowling Makoto over as she passed the man, Maharu didn't even acknowledge the event.

"What was her problem?" Makoto asked rubbing the back of his head. Taking the still warm seat, "I mean I like being hit with a woman's assets as much as the next man, but then being stepped on isn't my thing." He blushed having said a little too much, but he did start working without hesitation.

Maya, a strange surreal smile on her face, just waved in her seat. "Her problem is Katsuragi reminding everybody about our selfishness. We have an escape, but Ikari-kun and Soryu-kun will be left behind to deal with those monsters," Maya giggled a little but her eyes were rimmed red.

It wasn't that Misato wanted to make everybody feel like shit, it just sort of happened. Hell, Misato didn't even mind Maya was using one of Maharu's prototype devices. At this point, Misato was tempted to ask if she could borrow it to help keep her from stewing in her own funk. Something had to be done to brighten the atmosphere or things would just get worse. It just so happened, Asuka provided a nice little story this morning, not verified, but it should do the duty.

As Misato tried to find a good way of changing the topic, Ritsuko was filling in the few brave men and women that were on the bridge. "According to Kaji's report this morning, we can expect the JSSDF attack to be sometime before eight pm. We cannot go live with this data or they'd deny it and we'd lose face. The plan is to let them attack, we broadcast our security footage, and expose the duplicity. The government will have no choice but to back down due to their lack of evidence," she flipped through several pages of document.

Picking up where Ritsuko stalled, Kaji spit out the last of his own joint, "Due to Ikari-san's new gate technology we have nearly perfect defenses. They likely won't get past the two junction points to the bridge, but if they do we will escape via a portal a secure location." Kaji turned to Misato and half smiled, it was time for the hard part, "But the ground forces aren't they only problem. A series of mass production Evangelions will be part of the assault force. They have weapons that can easily disable our units, those without the gate technology. Sadly due to time constraints only two units are suited with them."

Willing up her best façade of calm, Misato stood proudly and confidently before her twenty men and women. "Unit-01 and Unit-02 are our primary defense against this threat. They have proven to be the best pilots with the best track records," Misato wasn't happy about that. Damn her for forcing children to keep her safe. "In an affect to keep the JSSDF from knowing we know of the incoming attack we have, as you see, one of our primary units at all times training our newest recruit," Touji took that moment to fall hard and shake the facility.

Wrapping a comforting arm around Misato's waist, Kaji pulled his rekindled flame against him. "We are, again, safe from the assault forces assuming they don't have a way to counter the water gem technology. As Maharu is the expert, that is nearly an impossibility. So, keep firm, keep strong, and after this day we will be able to live free. The commander has insured us a way to permanently end the angel threat. We win today, and its smooth sailing!" he thrust his fist into the air to the adulation and cheers of the crew.

Leading her rather animated paramour towards the rest of the senior staff, Misato lightly punched the man in the side. "You love giving speeches don't you super spy?" she teased. His duplicity had hurt, not because of the reasons but his lying to her. After a nice long talk, after waking up from seeing her boy servicing his wife, Misato got her answers from Kaji. Over a nice long drinking session they came to terms, and well…Misato took the last few nights sleeping at Kaji's.

"Going to tell them about how Shinji got that shiner? Bet that would lighten the mood," Kaji play rubbed his side. He down right hissed after Misato hit him in earnest in the stomach, "Ouch, babe, was that necessary?"

No it wasn't necessary, but Misato had to remind Kaji to know his place. At Nerv, Misato was in charge for now. The commander and sub-commander were not part of this defense plan due to the revelations of what was in Nerv's basement. "Gather round everybody, I've got a little story for all of you," she waved the assembled staff closer. "I'm sure you all noticed the little black eye Shinji had going this morning right?" she pointed at Shinji's monitor and more precisely the bruised left eye.

Well into her third happy stick, Ritsuko was well into her relaxation mode, "Why do I get the feeling sleeping beauty down in medical has something to do with this?" Ritsuko had earlier voiced her agitation of having her lab being made into sleeping quarters for the off duty pilot. With Shinji on patrol, Asuka was napping in Ritsuko's lab much to her chagrin. "Or did you see something again that didn't suit your liking?" Ritsuko chuckled.

Ok, so telling Ritsuko about the fainting spell at the hotel was a bad idea, Misato knew that now. Is it wrong for a parent to get upset over seeing her boy in the buff with his wife, or seeing said wife sitting facing her spread open with her boy in…Misato's face started to glow red. "Quiet you!" she pointed a curled and angry finger at Ritsuko for forcing that memory back.

After several deep breaths, Misato got her mind out of the gutter and back on the task at hand, teasing Shinji her all-time favorite thing. "Now this is all speculative you see, but if ANYTHING Asuka has told me this morning is true, you'll never believe this," hell she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen the events in the hotel. Her little man…well not so little it turned out now…really was something of a ladies man.

"Apparently, Asuka socked Shinji-kun in the face after walking in on Maharu, Miharu, and get this…Ayanami in his room. Now that's not the odd part, seems my lil man and his lady friends were not quite clothed," she didn't like the overly attentive look Makoto had on his face. "Now, this part I'm not so sure of, but Asuka swears Ayanami was just sitting on a chair with a notebook jotting things down yet still in the buff," why Misato had no idea and hadn't had the chance to ask.

Well the senior staff went up laughing. None of them believed it, Ritsuko might have, but it was a funny image. Rei was odd, they knew that, but to be taking notes? Why would such a thing happen? Asuka was just being Asuka and slandering people.

"I want to insure when I am involved that I am prepared to fully appreciate the encounter, and to perform to standards. My superiors have high standards," Rei quipped from Behind Misato. Sitting down next to Maya, Rei pulled out a notebook and started reading. "It was very informative," she found all of them gaping at her. "Would you like a copy?" she handed Maya the notebook. Maya read a little, nosebleed, and ran out of the room.

X-X

The explosion from up above the base sent Rei careening towards the wall. Bracing herself with her arms, the designated First Child's head took only a light blow. She blamed her lack of focus for the accident. Walking as fast as she could, running would only equate in further self injury, Rei had a single all consuming purpose. Get Asuka, get the Second Child to her unit, and if necessary throw her into the plug. If Asuka resisted apply pressure, Rei didn't know if she wanted resistance or not.

Another large tremor sent her tittering forward, but thanks to the door to the doctors lab, Rei was able to stabilize herself. Opening the door, more like ripping it off its hinges, Rei turned the light on to find Asuka still sleeping. Goody, it was as Misato said, Asuka could sleep through a train wreck. "Wake up, Second, the assault is upon us," Rei commanded in her standard docile tone.

When Asuka didn't so much as budge or react to the faint call, Rei upped the ante. A nice hard slap to the face and firmer, "Wake up Second!" A faint sense of disappointment churned in Rei when Asuka actually woke after the little love tap. She had hoped to increase the dosage, perhaps to the level her target administered this morning. "You are needed to assist Unit-01 now," Rei gripped Asuka's cheeks painfully.

It was odd, until recently Rei wouldn't have cared about such things as who was piloting and who was risking their lives. Had the order been hers, Rei would have been up there fighting. But, sadly, her tour of duty hadn't been as stellar as Asuka or Shinji's, which left her to wait. And quite to her astonishment, Rei wanted not only to live but to live with Shinji and Miharu…Maharu was still an unknown quantity.

Batting Rei's hand away, Asuka shoved the girl with one arm. "Get away from me freak! I'm tired and I don't need your perverted ass touching me!" Asuka grumpily sat up. Gingerly touching her cheek where Rei had so lovingly smacked her, "Couldn't you have shaken me or I don't know yelled?"

Dropping Asuka's plug suit on the girl's lap, Rei's eyebrow twitched. "I was unaware that you were told the nature of my creation. I shall refrain from contacting your body if you hasten your actions," Rei's lip trembled. She now knew what the commander meant when she could be replaced. Miharu, Maharu, Misato, and Shinji had all been with her when Ritsuko showed off the tank, that was two days ago.

Ripping off the plastic packaging to her suit, Asuka unfolded it, "Little privacy, or is her lesbian highness going to watch and drool over me? And what the hell are you talking about 'your creation'?" Sighing hard as Rei turned around to face away from her, Asuka started to disrobe. "That idiot can hold off against those stupid things, he'll be fine," she at least sounded like she wanted to believe it.

Smiling softly, Rei tugged at the front of her shirt. While she had felt sure she'd be cast aside, shunned, or even hated by those her heart not clung to, Rei was mistaken. They had accepted her regardless of her true origin. Shinji said it didn't matter and hugged her…Rei's heart soured at that little touch. Curious how sudden emotions could shift and how she felt loved by those three. Miharu had helped her to understand her feelings for Shinji. And after watching and taking notes on how to express it physically…well that got Rei's stomach a little queasy but a good queasy.

"I am a clone, a hybrid to be more precise," Rei said confidently…well as confidently as monotone came out. "The late Naoko Akagi created several human/angel hybrids, I am one of them," Rei turned to find Asuka stuffing her legs into the suit. Finding it almost humorous how the haughty Second Child was blushing and covering herself up, Rei rolled her eyes. Plainly, "You have nothing I haven't seen, nor anything I desire."

Leaning into the arms of her suit, Asuka avoided eye contact with the self-confessed clone. "S-sorry…didn't mean it like that, hell I didn't know. Meant you're a freak for wanting to or if you already had sex with that idiot," Asuka pressurized her suit. Standing up and kicking her toes deeper into the body molding attire, Asuka tossed her hair over her shoulder. "And are you saying I'm not good enough for you too then? Just like the great Shinji? Guy has two fuck-rags and now he got another? Well I for one will not bend over and let him…" Asuka's head rebounded hard as Rei's decidedly stronger slap resounded in the small room.

Her arm left extended, Rei's brow was hardened, her jaw set…Shinji would have said the girl looked furious. "No, the current you is not good enough for me, or anybody. Ik-Shinji-kun cares for me as a person before a body, as he cares for Miharu," Rei slowly took a step back. Unsure if Asuka would retaliate with physical force, the girl was ready to act. Hell if Asuka didn't move fast, Rei would pilot Unit-02 instead. Standing straight and tall she added, "You know your words are false about him. Deceit to yourself and to him, but you hurt only yourself. No go, or I will go in your stead."

The one eye open, the left covered by her hand, bore down on Ayanami with hate so rabid it was near insane. "Going from a doll one day to a defensive bitch in heat the next, Shinji knows how to pick um," she slurred. Spitting out a little blood continued, "Don't worry, I'll save him. But not for you or those damn alien thieves…Going to save him for myself." Asuka brushed past Rei and headed into the hall. "And you're right, I was lying to myself. Jealous, angry, and hateful…but directed at the wrong person," Asuka clenched her fist, mumbled something under her breath and ran off.

"You are forgiven," Rei watched as Asuka ran at a reckless pace down the hall. Guess she wasn't going to have to pilot after all, a shame. It would have been something to pilot along side the one that opened her eyes to humanity. Time would give her options to grown and understand what she was truly feeling. Heading back to the command bridge, and her eventual co-wives, Rei cringed at every thunderous explosion and vibration of the base.

The PA system kicked on, Misato was broadcasting, "Stand down and surrender. You have no chance of penetrating our defenses. If wanted we can teleport you to the bottom of the Mariana Trench or even the surface of the sun. Your attack is unwarranted and based on deceitful information. Do not force us to take drastic action."

Moving at a faster pace, Rei felt the odd need to be with Miharu. That odd girl was much like Shinji, but since she couldn't have him Rei would take her. Contentment, warmth, and acceptance were what the two offered, and Rei had never expected in her life. The commanders order, his self proclaimed last orders to her the day before, ran clear and true in her mind…seek happiness. What her true happiness was, Rei was still to shellshocked to know, but those two, perhaps three if Maharu was like them, was where she'd find it.

"First Child reporting, Second Child woken and briefed," Rei announced the instant she stepped onto the bridge several minutes after the announcement. Another new thing hit her, fear, as she saw the open escape water gate bathing the bridge in a blue glow. Walking to the trembling and teary eyes Miharu, Rei turned to Misato, "Problems?" Was Shinji hurt? Had the base been infiltrated? Emotions were equally painful as they were wonderful at this moment.

Taking the place of Misato, Maharu gently hugged Rei. "Well that firebrand just got to her launching board so she'll be up to help Danna-sama soon. But we have to leave," Maharu informed slowly. Spinning Rei around, Maharu ushered her into the arms of her sister. "Those foolish men opened fire on each other thinking the linked doors were a ruse. Several were hurt, none killed, but one threw a grenade. It destroyed the water crystals. We're not safe here," Maharu stroked Miharu's hair.

"Shin-chan is going to be alone up there," Miharu sniffed hard. "We won't know what happened until…until…" the girl broke down into the sniffles. Clinging to the closest thing she could, Miharu lifted Rei off the ground as she sought relief.

Trust, it all boiled down to trust didn't it. "Shinji will not fail, Miharu, he knows we would not allow it," Rei informed the woman thrashing her about like a rag doll. Shinji…and even Soryu had to live through this. Now that Rei knew the truth about herself, and was given a free lease on life…Shinji would have to hide in the deepest parts of the afterlife to avoid her now. But as much as she wanted to say such things, "M-Mi-Miharu…I'm getting…di…izzy."

"Time is up, Mi-chan, you're making Ayanami-chan sick," Maharu tried her best to stop the thrashing. When that failed, Maharu simply lifted both Rei and Miharu into her arms and walked towards the escape gate. "We'll be right behind you, after we destroy their little game. Their computers aren't a match for my new OS, and we'll have this publicized in minutes and be right behind you," Maharu kissed her fingers and touched it to both Rei and Miharu's forehead.

A sense of vertigo overwhelmed Rei as she was suddenly dropped. One moment she was on the bridge, the next she was on a beach, the moon softly glowing overhead. "Your sister is a very strong woman," and she didn't mean physically. The wetness on her forehead felt reassuring, and gazing into the one-way gate, Rei watched as they worked feverishly.

"Onee-chan and Shin-chan can do anything, they'll come with us…won't they?" Miharu asked as she was helped off the sand by Maya.

For a moment, Rei stopped to think. Could they do anything? Well Shinji managed to do many odd things, making her feel being one of the biggest. "Yes, I believe they will," Rei turned away from the gate and watched the moon. It was easier on the nerves that way. But once they got this over, Rei was going to insist she get a turn…Maharu said sex was a great way to relieve stress and Rei was very stressed now.

X-X

Tugging on the stirrups, Asuka tried to will the launch platform to move faster. It didn't work, but it helped her aggression regardless. Misato had officially stated that Shinji and she were on their own now, the base had been infiltrated. Good, great exactly what she wanted! It was her time to shine, time for Shinji and her to show the rest of Nerv what they could do! Let the little toy soldiers wander through an empty base and get exposed for the mindless kill-bots they were, she had monsters to fight.

"Shinji if you're already dead up there I'm going to be very pissed," Asuka roared. The light above her was growing and growing, the surface was near! So many things she wanted to say to that damn boy, and what better place than in a field of carnage. "And three, two…one!" she triumphantly cheered. Bang, fling, and off into the air Asuka went souring as the left jettisoned her into the air.

Surveying the carnage, Asuka was pleased that that source of equal pleasure and pain had yet to be taken down. Surrounded by five ugly white monsters as he was, Shinji had yet to be taken down. Angling her decent, Asuka crashed into one of the units about to club Shinji from behind with an odd double edged weapon. Smashing the things flapping head into a sea of red mush, she rolled and leapt to her feet.

Popping up in Asuka's view screen, a rather animated Shinji Ikari half grinned/grimaced teased, "Bout time you showed up." His head bounced about as his Unit deflected a blow with his AT-Field, but the unit didn't fall. "Thought I was going to have to do this as punishment for that little intrusion," he actually joked. Pushing forward with his field, Shinji toppled another unit to the ground and stabbed through its neck with his knife.

Two down already, this wasn't going to be any fun, Asuka wanted to release her pent up emotions. "Seems like you have it all taken care of already, but it would serve you right for defiling my apartment," Asuka gritted her teeth. Charging at one of the monstrosities legs, she dove at it and connected solidly. The force of the hit and landing caused her to bit her inner cheek filling her mouth with a tasty mix of LCL and copper. Getting back up, and stomping the things throat, "I'm ready to hear your apology now for flashing me your man meat."

Pouncing on Asuka, Shinji knocked her to the ground and out of the way of an attack from one of the downed units. "They regenerate all damage we do to them, don't know how to bring them down," he cringed. With Unit-01 laying on top of Unit-02, Shinji was the proud recipient of a flat end blow to the back. "For some reason they aren't trying to destroy Unit-01, just knock me out. You however," he drew his thumb across his throat.

Pushing Unit-01 off her proud and valiant mount, Asuka willed Unit-02 to roll back and lash out with a mighty double footed kick. Tore the bastards head free, but it still stood. "Well that makes things interesting and more fun. I wanted a fight and we can keep the last one around for me to toy with," she licked her lips. Lunging at the fumbling beast, she tore its double bladed weapon from its hands. "Things are slow aren't they, expected more from it," but Kaji did say they weren't fully tested yet. More fun for them.

Standing with his back to Asuka, Shinji repelled an attack with his blade. "Interesting is one word, but I'd call it annoying. Interesting is finding out your wife has a thing for a girl you used to think about," Shinji stabbed violently at the recovered fifth unit. "Interesting is finding out that the girl you had a massive crush on, didn't hate you as much as she lead on, but only after you're married," he grabbed the things arm and buried his knife in the joint.

Closing her eyes, Asuka took a mighty deep breath. So this was how it was going to be, not how she expected the talk to go. But hell, if they died here at least it would be without regrets. "I call that you being a chicken-dork. And me being a damn prissy bitch, but that's life," she swung the heavy blade. It struck home just above one of the things waists and cut it free of its legs. Seeing something interesting, a shiny red ball, Asuka got an idea. "So how was Ayanami, pervert, you claimed her already didn't you?" she dove out of range of one of the bastards' attacks and away from the test.

Spinning around, the momentum nearly sending him tripping over his cord, Shinji yanked out his blade. His current prey's arm fell off, as intended, "I'm just as shocked about this Ayanami business as you are. Do you think I expected Miharu to be so taken by her?" His attention diverted, Unit-01 took a heavy smack to the head sending him to the ground.

"If you can't talk and fight, then don't talk, stupid," Asuka found the time to laugh. Stupid Shinji needed to be looked after all the time. To soft, to caring, and to accommodating summed up she learned she adored about him. But those things didn't make for a good fighter. Flipping the switch on her emergency shoulder needles, the girl lanced a freaks head. "Going to try something, they have cores just above the belly button," she gave a flying jump and downward slash hitting her pulsating red target.

The monstrosity that was the third mass production Evangelion went silent. No explosion, no death call, the unit simple stopped.

Getting back to her feet, Asuka thumbed her nose at the four other units. "Not so tough now that we can kill you, are ya," she taunted. With the cords still attached, it was only their own stamina she had to worry about. "Cores, Shinji, think of them like angels. Crush the core and gugh," Asuka felt a blow from the side sending her down again, Shinji's shrill yell echoing in her ears.

Bellowing like the beast from hell Unit-01 embolden, Shinji let out, "NO!" His act of tossing Asuka had effectively saved her from a lance to the back of the head. Unit-01 fell to the ground and went still.

Her hands jerked away from the controls for a moment, as realization dawned on her. Shinji saved her again, just like at the volcano. "Shinji say something," she croaked out. Stillness greeted her. "No…No…NO!" not like this! Propelling herself into the air, Asuka got a birds eye view of the fuckers moments away from a very bad day. Unit-01 was down, unmoving, but she couldn't see anything necessarily wrong with it. How the damn weapons turned into a lance, Asuka didn't give two shits about.

"You did NOT kill him, he CAN'T be dead! I will not tell…tell them that I fucked up and got him killed!" Asuka landed hard on a beasts head. Cleaving downward through its soft tissue, Asuka grabbed its core and pulled it out. Smashing it in her fist, "NEXT!" A Valkyrie in red moving through the field, Asuka punched through another Eva and crushed the core inside its chest.

His smiling face, his countless apologies, his helping her, his being their for her, and a plethora of other memories flooded her brain. Each positive memory countered with one of her belittling, ridiculing, or just outright hurting him. Rage…rage and bloodlust filled the gap in her heart where he had filled.

Picking up one of the fallen mech's blades, Asuka chucked it at one of the retreating unit's. "Run! It's more fun to hunt than to just kill you!" she seethed. Her mind was under assault by her own pride. Hadn't she told him to take this shit seriously, and she was the one he had to save. "YOU DID NOT KILL HIM! HE CAN'T BE DEAD!" Asuka bellowed. Diving atop the last of her foes, Asuka literally clawed her way through its chest and smashed her unit's head against it.

It fell silent, but she wasn't done yet. Clawing, tearing, punching, kicking, and countless blows she rained down upon the damn thing. "He's not dead…he can't be…not now that I…I have to apologize! Say…just once to his face…say that I loved him," she tore the bastards head free.

Grabbing Asuka's semi-psychotic beast, Shinji forced her to stop. "ASUKA! Asuka stop! The water gem overloaded when I teleported the lance away. Shut Unit-01 down and I had to reboot," Shinji tried to calm her down. In the end he had to force Unit-02 to the ground and pin it. "Asuka, I'm alright! The lance was teleported to space. Had you not been avoiding me you'd have had the briefing!" he finally got through to her.

If Shinji had been physically in front of her Asuka didn't know if she'd hug, kiss, or had killed him. "You were playing possum I bet, listening to me and making me do all the hard work," she had lost all her bluff. His accursed blushing face told her enough, he heard her confession. "So…what now?" she asked as Unit-01 pulled her up.

"Next, we talk to Maharu. The man has no rights in a wedding on Seiren," Shinji shrugged as the pair headed to the closest lifts.

"No rights huh? Maybe that planet is alright after all," Asuka did not have a picture book happy ending in mind though. She had hated and spurned both of the women from Seiren from day one. Why would they take pity on a foolish child of a little girl? "I need a bath," she moaned as they descended back into Nerv.

Misato's voiced chimed over their links, "Stand down, the JSSDF has been ordered to stand down. We've won."

X-X

Swirling her glass of wine around, Maharu sauntered around the party. With the bulk of Nerv invited, it only served to have it on the bridge. Most of them she didn't know, let alone care too much about, but they didn't even notice her for the most part. Two weeks of scandal, arrests, and revelations left not only most of the employees but the planet is shock. If she heard her government had a secret sect of mad-men planning global genocide she'd be shocked as well.

Draping her arm down the man's side, and leaning heavily against his back, Maharu felt like giving Makoto a little start. "And how are you three doing this fine-fine evening?" she battered her eyelashes at Maya and Shigeru. Why the trio came in their work uniforms, Maharu could only guess, but who was she to criticize. Pinching Makoto's cheek, "Shouldn't you be flirting with the singles over there?" she intoned with her glass.

Covering her mouth with the hand holding her drink, Maya tittered. "Maharu-san, I for one am doing great. Still shocked at it all though. I mean who knew we had not one but two angels on base for so long," she reclined. Sipping back on her drink she just shook her head. A trifle morose, "And that Ikari had been…up until the end anyway…"

Clicking her tongue and waggling her finger, Maharu corrected, "Don't say the Ikari name like it's a plague now. I'm an Ikari after all and I think I more than make up for Danna-sama's father, not to mention Miharu-chan." But she had to admit her beloved did take his father's arrest hard. The man was going to get off easier for changing sides and helping in the end, but the man was going away for some time.

Trembling ever so slightly, a very thin trickle of blood down his nose, Makoto clenched his glass so tightly his knuckles popped. Stammering, "M-Maharu-san is right, she MORE than makes up for what the former commander did. And he did cut a bit piece of his hand off to get rid of that other angel." The man eyed Shigeru and the aforementioned troupe of women behind Maya gossiping.

Pushing Makoto out of his seat and towards her intended goal, Maharu quickly stole his seat. "Go now, shoo-shoo," she waved her hand, "the lovely and single women await." Maharu could tell Maya wasn't on the field just by looking at the petit woman leaving no single women for the ball of repression to attach too. Personally Maharu didn't have a problem with the man, but she could do without the ego boost and non-Shinji hormones for the night. Once the man timidly wandered off she apologized, "Sorry, nice guy but little on the over anxious side for me."

Having a beer rather than wine, Shigeru rang the glass like a bell, "No harm no foul, and Mako-chan can be a little hard up at times." He knocked back his drink, setting it down between his legs he pulled up his plate of food. Taking a healthy bite, "Man if I knew Shinji was such a good cook I'd have paid him to bring me lunches."

Looking at Shigeru's plate, Maya's eyebrows scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out. "Looks nasty if you ask me. I don't think I'd be able to eat your uh…planets food," Maya said diplomatically. Spying the pilots plus Miharu off on there own, Maya tilted her glass at them, "How is Shinji-kun taking everything? Not everyday you hear your father is being arrested for crimes against humanity."

A surge of pride welled up deep in Maharu's stomach. "He's doing great, he has us to support him if needed. But I think he and his father parted ways some time before the incident," she sipped her drink. Whenever she thought that man couldn't surprise her again, Shinji just went and made her love him more. He was more concerned about Miharu and her than the man who abandoned him. Her face soured slightly, "As for the man himself, well he did come around at the end. I'm afraid of what would have happened had we not stolen that lad from you."

Maya and Shigeru paled and Shigeru put his food back down. "Well I'm not hungry anymore," the air guitarist confessed. "Don't like thinking just how bad things would have been had it not been for you. We might not be in the clear from the angels like Gendo said, but you did at least save us from a big enemy we didn't know of," he shuddered and rubbed at his legs.

Tugging on her collar, Maya shifted away from Shigeru nervously. "Anyway, Maharu-san, what is next for…all of you?" Maya's expression was a curious mix of uncertainty and worry. Trying to force a more natural tone, "And did I hear something about Soryu?"

Ah yes…that unruly, ungrateful, and beast of a girl, Maharu didn't know fully what to make of her. Getting out of her chair, "Well the paperwork to start our own corporation is well underway. If you two need work, we are in need of computer techs. I suspect to be quite wealthy by years end. I've been house hunted with Danna-sama and Rei-chan last few days too." Walking past the two, Maharu patted Maya's shoulder, "Oh and Maya-chan, why don't you take that gift I left you over to Akagi's place. Bet you two will get a big kick out of it."

Leaving a flustered Maya to explain things to her unknowing male compatriot, Maharu could just feel the mirth around her. So much had changed in those around her, and she felt no small sense of contributing to it. This world was going to change, by Shinji and her hands. Miharu would be the poster girl (maybe Rei could help to, she was a cutie pie), but it was going to be them that made the fortune. But damn, Shinji did have his hands full with that other girl.

Asuka…Maharu didn't know fully what to make of her, suspected only Shinji really did. Unlike Ayanami who Maharu could see as a perfect compatriot for Miharu, Asuka was a mixed bag. Shinji saw something in her, that much was obvious, but was it worth increased the lot by one? Prideful, arrogant, and far too much like herself. But it would be fun to train that firebrand. If Miharu had a girlfriend, why couldn't she too? Initially she had thought of asking Shinji for Ritsuko to join as her girlfriend…but Maya might take offense.

"Maharu-san!" Kaji called out waving towards the woman. "Come over and chat a bit," the man had one hand around Misato's waist and another holding a plate of cake. The small band of unknown employees dispersed as the man continued to wave his food about randomly. "You can talk to them all you want after you move out, just a few minutes," he continued to pester.

Likely the engaged couple wanted to know Asuka's fate, Maharu bit her lip lightly. "And how are the Katsuragi's doing tonight?" she openly mocked the male. The more time she spent on earth the more she understood the simple joys of her home planet. Leaning in and pinching Misato's cheek, "Best take care of this one or I'll claim her as my own. Some of my upcoming products would easily sway her physically towards me." Oh how she loved Misato, more kindred spirit and less lust she reminded.

Batting Maharu's hand away, Misato snuggled up closer to Kaji. "See I told you my last name sounds better," she joined right in on the attack. "And if what Ritsuko said was true, you might just have a point about that too. So what are you going to offer me to stay, Kaji?" Misato spun and asked very demanding.

Suddenly at a loss for words at the two pronged attack, Kaji pulled his arm back and stepped back. "Wh-what? Misa-chan what are you…" then he snorted and stomped his foot. A jolly smile on his face Kaji belted out a solid laugh, "You two almost gave me a heart attack. Don't know how Shinji-kun puts up with you two…one of you is bad but two? Boy has to have the mind of a Buddhist monk."

"At times he does, but I remember two people walking in on us when he was quite the opposite," Maharu wasn't above teasing Misato either. A strange cultural gap existed, but Maharu had endless fun exploiting it. What was perfectly acceptable on Seiren was faint worthy here…maybe she'd film a few things as gifts for the budding couple. Her own memory causing a slight blush, Danna-sama did make her feel cherished, "His prowess aside, you two give my offer any consideration?"

Stepping close to Kaji, a firm and disapproving scowl marring her features, Misato didn't appear to like being reminded of her boys deflowering. "Us working for Shinji-kun and you, don't know about that. It would be odd to be taking orders from my…my ex-ward," Misato's eyes gleamed over. "But for the money you're offering we'd be dumb not too. But putting Kaji in charge of security? Sure that's a good idea?" she ribbed her man.

Talking over Kaji's rebuttal, Maharu tried to ease Misato's tension, "Not like he's going to order you to work in a bunny outfit, that's Miharu's job." Spinning on her heels, she spied her sister talking happily with her friends and husband…and stuffing her face with far to much food as usual. But back to business, "As for your qualifications, you ran a very large military organization, I think a few businesses would be right up your alley."

"Katsurag-san! Ryoji-san! Over here!" a group of mid-level technicians called from across the deck.

"Well time to go mingle I guess," Kaji shrugged. "And she is right, Misato, you could easily do it. And this way you can keep an eye on him and not feel like a stalker," said the man that knew his girlfriend very well. Leading the nodding Misato towards the men, "Oh and any word on Asuka? Misa-chan and I'd like to know if we can…you know…without having to worry about her walking in to skin me alive."

Not willing to give the man the satisfaction yet, Maharu just held up her hands and shrugged. "Don't know yet. That girl can be a pill, but I don't know if I want Danna-sama to take it," she joked. Heading towards her family, Maharu could see a tie binding the three damaged children. With the info on all three released, Maharu knew more than she ever wanted about Asuka and Rei. Just like Shinji, they had horrible experiences in the past yet lived through it. They formed a bond, different than the one Shinji shared with Miharu and herself, the bond of similar experiences on the battlefield and not.

She'd let Asuka suffer a bit more, for putting Miharu through some pain, and if the girl still wanted…well maybe. No promises yet at least. It could be fun though, to have that prideful girl bent under her will…oh so very fun.

X-X

Walking through the spacious, and empty, office space that he had just purchased, Shinji felt something akin to pride. A life without being a pilot, of being able to support a family, and just being his own person made him feel good. While it was still being looked into, he was starting to believe the two beings warped to the sun might have been the cause of the angel attacks. Now, a month and a half since the battle against those white monsters, he was looking towards a future he thought he'd not have had.

Prancing about the open and very chilled (great A/C it seemed) room, Miharu marveled at everything she saw. "We really own this place? It's so close to the house too," she was bubbly as ever. Dragging Rei around, the pink ball of positive was never slowed. Pointing at one of the smaller rooms without windows, "And we'll be taking the pictures here?"

"Only if you want to, Miharu-chan, and only with somebody you know with you," Shinji was firm about that. Miharu was so trusting and open to things, well Shinji and Maharu feared the girl would be taken advantage of. What he would have liked was a small kitchenette so he could make food for his employees, but such was unfortunately not possible. A boss cooking for employees might seem odd, but when most of them were family or close enough to it, Shinji didn't care.

Examining some of the fixtures, the walls were typical office of gunmetal grey, white tiled ceiling, and cheap carpet, Rei analyzed everything. "I will insure no harm comes to Miharu, physical or psychological," Rei's stern tone echoed throughout the rooms. Her stoic poise was countered almost instantly when Miharu sucker-hugged her, "Mi-Miharu, what are…why are…" Rei's eyes went wide as Miharu lifted her off the ground and spun her around like a doll.

That was something Shinji would never get bored of. Miharu's fixation with Rei was adorable and good for both of them. From time to time Shinji felt a little jealous of Miharu's doting on Rei, but if he ever showed even the tiniest amount of it…well both Miharu and Rei showed that he was equally as special. Pinching his nose as the memory of two days ago replayed in his mind as they both teens did just that, Shinji headed to the manager offices.

Laying on the ground, gazing up at the tiles, Maharu held her hand out expectantly. Grabbing Shinji and dragging him to the thin carpet, she made her husband lay beside her. "I could get to like this room. Smaller than I would have wanted, but I don't need much. Katsuragi will need more space for all the paperwork," Maharu dictated. Intertwining her fingers with Shinji's, "It's really happening. I thought, thought I'd just live a boring life, do the same engineering work, and die alone. I prayed Miharu would get somebody, but this…"

Her silence was profound, but Shinji understood it. He had long ago realized Maharu was much like him inside, but more like Asuka outside. Her hard was firm yet held a softness, he felt it tense as he spoke, "But this is more than I ever expected from life. I keep expecting to wake up and find myself back in the plug waiting for death." Every morning that didn't happen was a blessing. "Miharu and Rei like this place too, any word from…" Shinji's expression was drowned out by an explosive yell.

"Have you no shame, baka! You're not going to soil this place day one are you?" Asuka debased as she entered Maharu's office. Crossing her arms and stomping her foot, her haughty manner was not tempered at all. Scoffing, "Take my eyes off you for one minute and you've already got Maharu-c-chan on the ground? Insatiable, pervert, jerk!"

Sitting up, Maharu's knee popped up and she put her hand on it. Leaning forward exasperated, "Asuka, we talked about this didn't we? The Tsundere act got dropped when you moved into the house. You're still on a provisional basis young lady." Grumbling under her breath, the bombshell reluctantly got to her feet. Helping Shinji up, "And Danna-sama won't soil my office by doing the one thing I got an office for. I can work anywhere, this is just the away from home love nest."

Was she joking, teasing Asuka, or serious Shinji wouldn't have bet to save his life. "A-Asuka I just got in here, Maharu-chan was relaxing on the floor. No reason to get so animated," he tried to calm her down. What Maharu was thinking with Asuka, Shinji hadn't the brain capacity to fathom. All he knew was two days ago, luggage in hand Asuka showed up on their doorstep. She had visited nearly every other day, but the bags meant she was there to stay if she passed Maharu's tests. With the way his life was going, Shinji didn't know if he could survive Asuka on top of everything else.

Butting Maharu away, Asuka comically avoided looking at her superior, as she approached her boss. "Can't believe I'm going to be a model…I've a damn degree you know, can't you think of a better job for me?" she shook her fist at the man. "Ibuki and Akagi are downstairs examining the room for their computers, that lawyer of yours is all kissy face with that nerd of a tech guy in the break area," Makoto finally got a girlfriend. "And Misato and Kaji are locked in his office…I won't even bother to tell you what they are doing," her bashful stance told far more than enough.

Gripping Asuka's well-proportioned figure for a teen, and groped her effectively stopping the German's tirade. "They feel bigger with cloths on, you wearing a padded bra," Maharu continued her sexual harassment. Blowing into Asuka's ear, the girl going weak in the knees, "And you'll be a model with my sister and her sister-wife until you finish school. After that you can take on more important work." Releasing her hold on the girl, Asuka fell to her knees, eyes closed and breathing in large puffs. Extending her hand, "Danna-sama?"

Giving Asuka a wide berth, Shinji followed Maharu out of the small room. He wouldn't lie, wouldn't say it aloud either, but watching Maharu and Asuka interact was very mentally stimulating. When he looked close enough he could see a hint of Miharu and Rei's relationship between his darker red-haired companions. Might have just been an illusion, or hopeful wishing since he wanted Asuka happy, but he thought Maharu was starting to really accept her. Or Maharu was just sadistic and wanted to torture Asuka for the girl's earlier transgressions, Shinji was of course hoping for the former.

Finding Miharu and Maharu at the window, Shinji walked into the space they left open between them. Glancing over Miharu's shoulder, "What happened to Rei?" It felt odd to not call the girl Ayanami anymore, but the name didn't really fit. The plan was a trip to Seiren for the formal nuptials after the business got started. A flash of insight, or healthy imagination, lead the boy's heart to start pumping, "You two didn't…"

"Rei-chan said she wanted to get ready for the interviews," Miharu innocently destroyed Shinji's mental picture. Nibbling on a piece of bread, the girl pressed her head to the window and gasped, "They're so many of them!" Her crumbs painted the window with her enthusiasm as she pointed at the growing crowd. Her lower lip puffed out suddenly, "This won't make us late for lunch will it?"

Having the want no need to, Shinji grabbing Miharu and hugged her fiercely. "Mi-chan you don't have to worry, I packed us lunches today," he felt as light as a feather. As he held her, Shinji felt Maharu's hand on his back. So odd yet so right he felt with them. They were three pieces of a puzzle that linked together perfectly. His ditzy yet smart adorable Miharu and his sexy and genius Maharu, he'd do anything for them. Did it matter that Miharu had a black hole in her stomach and Maharu had bouts of self-doubt and depression? Hell no!

With Miharu smiling and tittering in his arms, Shinji took a gander out the window and realized why she was so stunned. A small army of scientists, computer programmers, chefs, and that was just today were lined up. Maharu's use of Seiren's technology was going to revolutionize the planet, make them rich, and everybody wanted a hand in it. Water gems, computer OS, odd culinary cuisine, women's 'back massagers', and those simple pink smokes were just the start.

A pronounced state of peace drifted over him, he knew serenity, he knew joy, and he knew love. "I…don't say it nearly enough, but I love you two," he was getting much better at saying it. They were the best things to happen to him, and as Miharu lifted him into the air…then sent Miharu and him flying when she sneezed, he knew she felt the same. Grabbing Maharu, Shinji shielded her from the wall, thankfully not damaged, he saw in her eyes all the proof he needed that she felt the same. An odd family, him and his two wives…and their sister-wives, but the world was their oyster now.

Come what may, they were prepared to defend what they had, either with Eva, sharp wit, or ability to create pink explosions. They would not be separated, they would not doubt each other, and they would conquer.

The end…part I

X-X

Author's notes

…GAAAAAH! I like how this ended but I want more! I won't start writing part 2 now, I I've finally got my ideas set for the next two stories I'm going to write. But I will come back and write a second part of this more one the light hearted Girl's Bravo comedy end and less the world-ending disaster part of Eva…

Thanks for reading and I hope you can stand waiting a while for part 2

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


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